Recent Articles
Festival Planners – Don’t Forget The VIP Tent!
If you are an event planner and you’re involved in the planning of a music festival then you will have a very long ‘to do’ list on your hands! It’s easy to get carried away making sure that everything front of house is under control, but it’s important not to forget the backstage area. Artists will expect dressing rooms and a VIP bar backstage, where they can relax without being hounded by fans and autograph-hunters. Artists may well have travelled a long way to get to your festival, so it’s really essential that you make them feel welcome. Here’s what you need to have installed backstage to help your artists feel relaxed and comfortable.
Backstage Bar
You’ll definitely need a backstage bar. Often, because of the calibre of people that will be in there, festival organisers go all-out and get a really beautifully decorated tent. It can still be a temporary pop-up shelter but one that has all the trimmings of an A list green room. Make sure the bar is tended all the time and that there are plenty of sofas and chairs dotted about to relax in. You should make sure your security staff know the importance of keeping the backstage bar exclusive, so under no circumstances should anyone without an AAA (access all areas) pass be let through. Offer an assortment of drinks including beers, lagers, wines and spirits as well as soft drinks and mixers. They will specify anything they particularly want on their rider.
Dressing Rooms
Often the artists will arrive in their own tour bus, but just in case you should always ensure that they have a dedicated private tent purely for them to get ready in. It is in this shelter that you should put their rider, including food, drinks and a local paper. Leave a free-standing wardrobe in each one for the band to hang their stage outfits on, and if the band is a mix of females and males then make sure they have separate dressing rooms. Some chairs and a table will make it feel more homely. Mark it clearly on the outside so people don’t wander in by mistake.
Toilets
Don’t insult your artists by expecting them to use grubby port-a-loos. Ubiquitous at every festival, the port-a-loo is okay for the punters, but your artists are going to need something a little more luxurious. A life on the road is a difficult one and they will really appreciate any extra effort you go to for their comfort. Hire mobile units with proper flushable toilets, and sinks. Have them kitted out with soap, towels and hand driers and make sure there are fresh flowers in every cubicle. They should be cleaned regularly and always have air fresheners installed.
Making your artists feel welcome and relaxed will work in your favour. They will put on a much better show if they are happy with the way they have been treated, and they will be far more likely to agree to come back to a repeat event if they leave with happy memories!
Featured images:
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
Today’s featured writer, Tom Harper, works as a freelance event planner. He has organized many music festivals and believes party tents from MDM Shelters are second to none.
Run Your Own Business? Work From Home And Save Loads Of Cash!
If you run a business and you rent premises, you could be missing a trick. Obviously if it is the sort of business that requires a lot of staff and machinery then you need dedicated space, but if it’s a small office that you run, then you could be saving yourself a lot more money. Think about how much rent you pay, and then imagine having all of that spare every month to reinvest into the business or spend on a well-earned holiday. All it takes is a little initial investment to get the ball rolling. How do we suggest you do this? Build an extension on your house so your office is at home!
The Benefits
Having an office at home brings loads of benefits, but high on the list must be the lack of a daily commute. Every day workers waste valuable time sitting in traffic queues and driving to work, or sat on a packed train full of other commuters. This is time that you could be clawing back. Working from home means you can be close to your family and home in time for tea with your kids. There’ll be no premises rent to pay – once you have your office set up your overheads will be minimal. More and more people are choosing this as an option when it comes to thinking about where they work from.
How to Go About It
Some people have a spare room in their house that they can convert into an office. However this can cause trouble, as you will be too close to all the hustle and bustle of family life. A much better plan is to build an extension on the side of your house which has separate access so you can shut yourself away. You’ll need planning permission obviously – even if you are using an existing footprint such as a garage you will still need to state the change of use. Then it’s just a question of drawing up the plans and getting a trusted builder in to realise your dreams!
The Finer Details
It’s important that your work space feels professional – and not just an extension of your home. Keep the furniture and decor office-like and if there is room in the budget then put in a little toilet and kitchen so that you don’t have to keep wandering in and out of the main house. This will also look more professional when you have clients over for meetings etc. Make sure there is a nice big window in the plans so that you get lots of natural light, and build in plenty of storage options for your files and paperwork.
Working from home is most people’s dream – you’ll be less tired, more productive and you will see loads more of your family. A dedicated office space within the boundaries of your own home is the perfect answer and more and more people are choosing this as a viable option. The only thing that remains to be decided is what you are going to do with all those extra hours and all that extra cash?!
Featured images:
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
This guest post is authored by Jenny Wadlow. She has a lot of interest in the field of house designing and construction. She is a freelance blogger and likes to write on topics such as home renovation and improvement.
If Your Business Is Growing, Is Your Payroll Software Keeping Up
Often when a business grows, it tends to outgrow its payroll software. Companies generally start out with a basic program that suits their start-up needs, but once things pick up, it is very common for the software to become too basic for the needs. If your company is in this position then it’s very important to consider which type of payroll software to upgrade to. This means thinking very carefully about which features you need it to have (for example wages, company bonuses, and deductions such as tax and pension contributions).
A good type of payroll software will enable you to run reports on pretty much anything you need to know, and it will also be useful for auditing and managing costs. It should also be able to incorporate personnel files and be maintained by your HR (Human Resources) department. It should be completely failsafe too – not paying your staff on time because of a glitch is not an option.
What to Look For in Your New Software
Your new software should have electronic filing built in so that you can keep all your records in one place. This means no more bulky personnel files, and it also helps maintain employee confidentiality as only authorised people can access the information. You’ll need to be sure that the payroll software is up to date with current legislation and that it offers a swift and easy system of deducting tax. It needs to be supported really well too – there will be problems from time to time but you cannot afford to be without it. This means that top-quality support should be accessible at all times, both to assist staff in using the software, and to fix glitches if and when they occur.
How Will It Add Value to My Business?
If you have a state of the art payroll system, you will be saving yourself a lot of time and money. Staff can process wage payments in a fraction of the time, and this means they will be free to carry out other tasks. You may even find you can reduce the amount of employees you have to handing payroll.
How Should I Choose The Right Package For Me?
You may well feel out of your depth when scouring the internet looking at different types of payroll software that’s available. If this is the case, then an IT expert with a specialism in business finance will be able to help you. It’s definitely worth consulting an expert because they will have far more knowledge than you in the area. If you choose the wrong package through lack of experience, it will cost you dearly in the long run as it will just need replacing. The expert can also talk you through how to use it, and how to get the best value from it in terms of financial reporting.
The world of payroll software is a complicated one, but armed with the right information, a sensible budget and an expert to help out, you will be able to find the right one for you.
Featured images:
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
The author of this post, Jack Matis, is a teacher at erptraining9.com, a well-established training center in the USA that provides SAP MM training. He enjoys cycling and trekking in his spare time.
Looking For Corporate Entertainment With A Twist? Here Are Some Ideas!
There are plenty of times when, as a business, you need to give your staff or customers a good time. Perhaps you are planning a staff Christmas party, or maybe you need to entertain a bunch of customers who have come to see you en masse – either way you’ll need to put on a show. Many companies hire function rooms in hotels and these are a great place to host. You’ll need top quality catering of course, and somebody will need to be in charge of project managing the whole event. One thing you shouldn’t scrimp on is top quality entertainment. The right performers will put a smile on people’s faces, meaning they will leave with fond memories of the event. Here are some great ideas for unforgettable entertainment:
A Ceilidh Band
Ceilidhs, or barn dances, are growing in popularity (although they have been around for hundreds of years). Originating in Ireland, the premise is that a band turns up with a ‘caller’ who talks all the party guests through some simple dances. The consequences can be hilarious – it’s not about getting it right so much, it’s more about everybody having a laugh together, getting it wrong! The band will play folk music while the caller tries to organise the chaos. Tell people to come wearing flat shoes as they will need them for dancing. Who knows, perhaps one of your guests may discover they have a hidden talent?!
A Comedian
Comedians are a great way to get everyone howling with laughter – as long as you choose a good one! Make sure you get one on recommendation, and it helps if you have seen them before so you know they are funny. Beware though that their jokes are suitable to the audience – a good comedian will temper their act to suit the people. They will be able to provide a sideways look at the key issues of the day, as well as make people laugh with observations and comment. Everyone loves a good laugh – particularly after a serious event, so get them rolling in the aisles with a top funny man or woman!
A Function Band
Music is a great idea at any party, but make sure you find a covers band that is geared up to do corporate events. Many function bands turn up and put on a real show – with a brass section and backing singers too. They should bring their own PA and lights so that you can just sit back and enjoy. They will need early access to the venue in order to sound-check. Once they fire up in the evening, everyone will love dancing the night away. Choose a band that do requests too – this is a sure fire way to keep your guests happy.
It’s worth setting aside a large chunk of the budget for your entertainment. Cheap acts just won’t cut the mustard – you need people who are seasoned professionals to help make your event go with a swing. Whoever you choose, make sure they provide an act that will stick in your guests’ minds for years to come!
Featured images:
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
Jacob Florence, the author of today’s guest post, works for Independent Artists, an Australian comedy management and production agency. He likes to write articles related to business and finance in his spare time.
5 Simple Ways To Reduce Office Expenses
A tough economy has made people and companies realize that office expenses need to be cut if a company is to use its capital more effectively. Here are 5 simple ways to reduce office expenses.
Good for the environment is also good for your office
It is amazing how much money you can save by making the office more eco-friendly. Most companies shy away from the idea since it costs money to make an office eco-friendly. However, they fail to realize that it is not a cost, but an investment. One of the best ways to reduce overhead costs is by cutting utility bills. And that is exactly what an eco-friendly office can provide – better heating and cooling resulting in lower utility bills. The cost of making an office eco-friendly is recovered in no time, not to mention a lot of the money spent can be claimed back as a tax deduction.
When it comes to marketing, think outside the box
It is undeniable that marketing expenses often take up a massive chunk of every company’s budget. If you stick to traditional marketing techniques, do not expect to see a fall in expenses. However, thinking outside the box, in terms of marketing, can help you come up with unique and novel marketing strategies that are a far cry from the traditional methods. For example, social media marketing requires little manpower and the expense levels are incredibly low. Despite the low levels of investment, he results of social media marketing are staggeringly better than those achieved by traditional marketing formats.
Ditch the landline for a trusted VOIP service
Two monthly expenses that every office has to deal with are the phone bill and the internet bill. Wouldn’t it be much better if you could simply combine the two? If your office hasn’t switch to a VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) service yet, it is losing out big time. Not only does a VOIP service make use of your existing internet connection, thus eliminating the need for a landline, it is also cheaper to use, especially for long-distance and international calls.
Interns want to work for you. So let them.
A very common mistake is to assume that your office doesn’t need interns. Just because you are struggling to come up with ideas does not mean that your office cannot accommodate interns. There are plenty of duties around the office that do not need full-time staff. These tasks can easily be delegated to interns, who work for a fraction of what you would have to pay a full-time employee. With the number of jobs available failing to keep up with the number of students graduating every year, there is no lack of eager interns waiting in line to be hired.
Retail is passé; shop for office supplies online.
Whenever the office is running low on supplies, the usual protocol is to go to or call a retail store and stock up on necessary office supplies. However, the smart money is on buying office supplies online. You can get all sorts of office supplies online, including printer ink and toner cartridges. The potential savings by shopping online are well worth spending a few minutes in front of the computer.
Follow these 5 simple steps and you will see a noticeable drop in office expenses.
This article is submitted by James Hanning. He used to work in a leading computer software company but gave up his job to follow creative urges. He is now a fulltime writer and blogger. He writes tech and software related articles.
4 Reasons Why You Should Consider Having QR Codes On Your Packaging items
Quick Response (QR) Codes: the two dimensional machine readable bar codes – are becoming ubiquitous these days in print media of all forms as the new tool for promotion. QR Codes have found their way into print advertisements in newspapers, magazines, flyers, product brochures and not the least of all, product packaging. The benefits of providing QR codes on packaging are quite compelling and here are just a few of the advantages of this mode of promotion.
1. Build a more exciting story around the product and the brand
Using QR Codes (with an attractive tag line or lead on) on packaging can be used to direct users to the product website to inform customers about the company, the product and the company’s other offerings. The company can also increase the loyalty index of its customers by inviting visitors to participate in product surveys, contests, sweepstakes, promotions or raffles.
2. Improve quality of customer service and connect with customers
Companies can use QR Codes to direct customers to their websites which offer more effective means of offering customer service. For example – A furniture company can use a QR Code to direct a customer to a DIY furniture assembly video, a burger company can use the QR Code that takes the customer to a website that offers comprehensive information of the nutritive value of the food item or a consumer goods company can use QR Code to encourage website driven warranty registrations. All of these are add-ons that create better connect with the customer through uncommon means.
3. Sell more
QR codes offer a wonderful window of opportunity to increase the share of the customer’s wallet. By appropriately designing the website that a QR code leads the customer to, companies can engage in a variety of things to increase revenue – sell more of its products and services, sign up for a paid subscription, purchase a product as a gift for a loved one, inform existing customers about other products in the company portfolio and so on.
4. Increase the social presence of the company
With our society becoming savvier with social media each passing day, QR codes are an effective way to increase awareness about a company’s products and services. Consumers can be directed to the company’s web page where they can be encouraged to do a number of things which will build the company’s social presence; solicit feedback about their product, refer the product and share their story with their friends and family, provide opportunity to personalize the website visited through texts and pictures etc. If backed by a strong, reliable brand each of these actions can work wonders for the product using the power of social media .
LinkedIn Profile Headline – Creating The Perfect LinkedIn Profile Headline
If you are serious about networking on LinkedIn, the first objective will be to get people to click on your Linkedin profile. That starts with the LinkedIn profile headline. The perfect LinkedIn profile headline needs both to stand out in search results on LinkedIn and to inspire potential clients to click on your profile to learn more about you. The headline needs to be attention grabbing and speak to your ideal clients and customers.
Let Melonie Dodaro founder of Top Dog Social Media take you through the most important elements:
1. Does Your LinkedIn Headline Standout In Search?
You’ve only got 120 characters for your LinkedIn profile headline and you should use every single one of them to leave an impression in the search results. When prospects are scrolling through the search results, will you stand out as one of the best LinkedIn profiles?
Here are a few tips to make your LinkedIn profile headline standout more:
Can your ideal prospect quickly identify that you offer what they’re looking for?
Try to find your LinkedIn profile through search using your chosen keywords and see how it looks compared to your competition
Track how many views your profile has had in the last few days/weeks, tweak your LinkedIn headline and watch for any change in the number of profile views
2. Does Your LinkedIn Headline Include Keywords You Want To Be Found For?
There really isn’t much sense in creating a LinkedIn profile that will impress your prospects if it doesn’t get found in the search results. One of the most significant factors that will get you showing up on the first page of the search results is your LinkedIn headline.
Now when I say search results, I mean LinkedIn’s built-in search function meant for finding people or groups on the network, not Google. It’s your job to tell LinkedIn that you are a relevant result for keywords related to your profession or industry by strategically placing them in your profile and headline.
3. Include An Attention Grabbing Statement
If you really want people to check out your profile then you need to include a powerful attention-grabbing statement in your LinkedIn headline. You don’t have the ability to use bold, italics or colorful fonts so the only thing that can make your LinkedIn headline pop is your words.
Don’t forget to check out the rest of Melonie’s article which includes great examples of the most effective LinkedIn profile headlines and tips to ensure that your own LinkedIn profile headline gets attention. Make sure that you use your 120 character limit that’s allowed by LinkedIn for your headline.
The best LinkedIn profile will speak directly to your ideal client. Let us know about your results if you follow these recommendations for your profile. We’ll be pleased to hear if they work. If they don’t, tell us about that too and we’ll help you find a solution.
Also, if you don’t have the time to do this yourself, check out our LinkedIn Profile Service as outlined on one of our other pages. For a small one-off fee we’ll do it for you!
Business Cards To Make You Stand Out From The Crowd!
When choosing your business card, what do you want to achieve? That’s right, you want to be noticed and remembered! So for goodness sake don’t get cheap business cards made up – you are really missing a trick to impress. Handing out a bad quality business card does you more harm than good – you’ll be remembered for all the wrong reasons. Splash out a little and invest in business cards that say you mean business, and you can be sure that you’ll get more work as a result. Whatever line of work you are in you need an individual business card that shouts ‘quality’. Here are some options that you might not have thought about:
Colour
The more colour on your business card, the more it will cost to print, but there’s no doubt it will be more eye catching as a result. However if you are really on a budget then, used in the right way, black and white can be very effective too. Consult with your graphic design artist and see what they suggest – you need an expert on the case.
Embossed Foil
Business cards which are embossed or stamped with foil print are classy and effective. It’s very easy to achieve – most printing companies are able to do this for you. Foil catches the eye and twinkles in the daylight, so there’s much more chance of you being remembered! Choose silver or gold metallic embossing for a real touch of pure quality – people will know you have gone to a lot of effort to make sure your business card stands out from the crowd. Embossed foil also gives a 3D effect to the card so it’ll be hard to miss!
Different Materials
Why go for plain old card? You can get business cards that are made out of metal such as aluminium, linen, and plastic cards (that won’t be destroyed if they go through the wash in someone’s pocket!). You can still print on these materials so none of the information will be any harder to get across. Think outside the box when you’re designing your business card – anything is possible as long as you have the budget to afford it!
Top Tips
When having your business cards designed, make sure you opt for Pantone colours (which are the industry standard) to make sure that colours are consistent throughout your entire stationery collection. This also means that if you decide to change to a different print house the colours will remain the same. Always make sure your business card proof is thoroughly checked for mistakes before going to print – imagine what a disaster it would be if even one digit was wrong on your phone number for example? Always ask a few friends and colleagues to check it too so that you are certain you haven’t missed anything.
Having business cards made is an important business decision and has a huge effect on how you come across to other people. Don’t get it wrong – it’s the best chance you have to get new business!
Attached Images:
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
The author of today’s post, Alfred Taylor, is a part of the team at Masterwork USA, one of the leading manufacturers of die cutting machines. In his spare time, he likes to offer tips on how to perk up your business.
Contractors: Is Using Them A Good Idea?
Many businesses, especially those that are just starting up or those that are expanding quickly, at times need access to skills that are not within the expertise of their employees. Or perhaps employees are so busy that they have no time to undertake a job, even if they do have the required skills. That is when the use of a contractor can be very helpful.
Using contractors to help develop projects, or fulfil specific tasks, is an efficient and cost-effective way of getting a job completed. However, employers should be aware of the administrative differences that exist between full time employees and using contractors when they plan to hire an outside person or organisation.
Adding value with contractors
Permanent employees are an integral part of organisation, and are employed to carry out a number of functions to ensure the business runs smoothly. They are recruited for their specific skills, but are also assessed as to how they will fit in with the company ethos and contribute to a variety of other tasks that help the business to function.
The difference with contractors is that they are brought in to do a specified piece of work, which is time-limited and essential for business development. They can have several advantages over permanent employees:
• they are highly skilled and experienced
• they are flexible and only hired when needed
• they are low risk because they are not employees and can, subject to the terms of their contracts, be hired and fired at will
• they can provide added value through being independent and objective, especially if looking at the restructuring of a business
• they are highly motivated – if they don’t perform they don’t get paid.
Effective hiring policies
Contractors provide services in all business sectors and although it’s common to think of them as being mainly in the construction industry, there are contractors that deal with business planning, financial investigation, landscaping, IT systems, marketing and specialised public relations, to mention only a few.
There are three key steps to take when hiring a contractor:
• evaluate CVs carefully
• conduct effective interviews
• negotiate the contract to get exactly what the business requires
Examining CVs in detail is crucial. The brief should be tightly written and the skills and experience required clearly outlined. Strengths and weaknesses should be assessed and a strong shortlist drawn up.
Interviews with contractors are different to interviewing prospective employees. There is a particular job to be done and it doesn’t matter if the contractor doesn’t seem to “fit with the team”. They are there to get the work completed. The focus must be on the suitability of the applicant, the range of experience and solid references.
Contracts can be tricky so it’s important for a business to know exactly what it wants and what it expects the contractor to do. If the company does not have an in-house legal expert, it pays to contract one to ensure that both sides are protected in the event of any problems.
Employment law and IR35
Contractors who are not deemed by the tax authorities to be self-employed need to be compliant with IR35 legislation. This ensures that an individual is not trying to use a personal services company for tax avoidance purposes. Contractors who come under IR35 rules will pay more tax and NICs, after allowable expenses, so it is important that employers check a contractor’s status during the interview process.
How To Use Memorable Branded Corporate Free Gifts And Merchandise To Boost Your Brand Identity
Branding is hugely important for businesses of all sizes, but it can also be an area of running your own company where you get to have some fun and be creative. As well as impressing your brand on things like your website, Facebook page, Twitter identity and any physical sites you run, you can also encourage people to develop a positive relationship with your brand in their minds by giving away some useful, interesting or fun branded items.
Here are some ideas about how to do this:
Where and When to Give Away Corporate Gifts
Corporate merchandise can be given away at any time when you connect with customers or potential customers, in theory. Bear in mind that these are not things you are going to sell, but things that add value to an existing purchase, or are just given away as free gifts that people will take home and use or see, reminding them of your company.
It can be a good idea to put together bags of corporate gifts that you give to people who visit you at trade fairs, or give them to people who visit your offices. If you run an online only business, you can give away free digital products, such as apps or eBook reports, or you can include a small token physical gift with purchases you send out. The idea is to give the customer the impression of additional value, as well as impressing your brand on them in a subtle way.
What to Give Away
Obviously there are some cost concerns when it comes to giving away anything for free. You have to consider the cost of your corporate gifts as part of your marketing, and include them in any calculations you do around the cost of acquiring new customers. How much you spend should be proportional to how much you expect the average customer to spend. If you are selling fairly low cost items, then look out for items that are very cheap to order in bulk. Classic options are things like key-rings, magnets, mugs, pens, mouse mats, and small children’s toys (if you sell something family orientated).
However, if you sell something more expensive, for example if you are an IT solutions company expecting the average client to spend thousands, you can go for something with more implied value. Things like leather document cases, high end pens, and branded memory drives are good if you are selling to corporate clients who can put these things to use at work. Whereas consumer clients can enjoy things like t-shirts, bags, kitchen utensils, beach towels, sports equipment – in fact anything that goes well with what your company does and works with a logo on it!
Brainstorm some ideas of good corporate gifts that may fit in with your budget and branding, and investigate companies who may be able to design and make them for you. For some items, a standard design in your colour scheme with your logo will work, whereas for others you may need to invest in having a professional design specifically for your item. You may also be able to use design assets you already have to create some things, like fridge magnets, mouse mats and t-shirts.
Attached Images:
- License: Royalty Free or iStock source: http://pixabay.com/en/christmas-bag-santa-claus-17159/
- License: Creative Commons image source
Today’s guest author, Jenny Wadlow, is a freelance writer and usually writes for Liquid Creativity, a firm that provides brand consultants based in Australia. Apart from writing, she enjoys reading and dancing for leisure.
