Sunday, July 7, 2019

Why You Need To Communicate Well

Communication is always going to be important for your company. But why? If you’re not really sure what kind of impact communications can have in business, here’s three thoughts for you.

So Your Audience Can Connect With You

The very first reason for why you need to do this, is because you need your audience needs to connect with you. If you want to be able to gain loyal customers and make the right impact on them, you’ll want to make sure that the way you communicate with your audience, and market, it’s going to help you build a relationship with them.

So Your Position Yourself Correctly

But then also, as a step on from that, you can use communication to position yourself in terms of branding. Because everything that you put out in terms of marketing makes an impression on not just your audience, but the whole world. This is why you need to make sure that you are on-brand with your marketing, and projecting the right messages too.

So Your Employees Can Perform Well

Finally, you’ll also see that when it comes to your employees, the better you can communicate with them, the better they perform. This very much comes into play in terms of communicating your business strategy, as you’ll see in the infographic below. When you’re able to get across your vision and strategy effectively to your staff, you can get some great results and they feel more engaged. So make sure you implement the data below.


Infographic Design By University of Southern California


Friday, July 5, 2019

How To Get Your House Ready To Sell



The decision to sell your house is a big one, and although it’s an exciting time for the most part, it can also be extremely stressful if you’re not properly prepared, or if things just aren’t going as smoothly as you perhaps hoped.



However, with some careful planning and being organized, the whole process of selling your house can be a good bit easier than it might be otherwise, so here are some tips to consider when getting ready to sell your house.



Fix up your garden:



A garden is a huge selling point for any house, but yet it’s often one of the most neglected areas of the home.



Of course, depending on the climate where you live, a garden is not always something you’re able to enjoy the way you’d perhaps like to. But, if you’re selling the house, then the last thing you want people to see when they come to view it is a messy garden that looks like the grass hasn’t been touched for the duration of the time you’ve lived there.



The good thing about maintaining a garden is that it’s really not complicated, or expensive, and you can make a big difference simply by adding some nice furniture and accessories, and making sure the grass is cut on a regular basis.



Carry out any repairs:



If there are repairs that you’ve been needing to get done around the house that you’ve been putting off, now is the time to do them. Not only will it help with making a sale a bit quicker, but it can also even increase the value of your home slightly depending on the nature of the repairs that need doing.



At the very least, they will make your home seem more appealing to potential buyers - especially when the repairs or changes are visible ones such as refreshing your floors. Getting floors done is something you can do on your own, but if you search online for polished concrete floors Toronto, you’ll find companies in your local area who can do this, and save you the stress and extra work.



Have your paperwork in order:



Buying and selling houses is something that requires a good deal of paperwork on both sides, so it’s imperative that you have yours in order before you even start accepting viewings. This will just make things more organized overall and, especially if you’re looking for a faster sale, you’ll find it’s much easier if the paperwork side of things can get moving as quickly as possible, especially as this is often one of the main reasons for a house sale to get held up.



Declutter:



Moving house is the perfect excuse to get rid of any junk you have lying around or simply, and to clear out things you no longer want or need such as furniture, clothing and appliances. It’s also a practical thing to do since it makes it much easier for you when you’re getting ready to move to a new place.

Thursday, July 4, 2019

1970's Travel vs. Today: How Times & Travel Have Changed





Since the invention of the wheel in 3,500 BC, man has conceived new ways to travel. In just in the past 50 years, we've experienced great changes in how we get from place to place, and thanks to the technological and social advancements since the 1970s, traveling has become more popular, more convenient and much safer. Through consideration of modes of transportation and elements of safety, it is evident how lucky travelers in 2019 are when compared to those in 1970.

Modes of Transportation
In 1970, transportation had an entirely different face from that of travel today. When we think of modes of transport, the airplane is often the first to come to mind, but in 1970, it was the bus that most impressed people. Public transport in U.S. cities was evolving to the delight of many urban workers who could not afford cars. On September 8, 1970, Seattle Transit launched America's first express bus service, "Blue Streak," which later would become the model used to develop park-and-ride routes throughout the country. Three years later, Metro Transit began operation in Seattle charging passengers a 20-cent set fare.

In 2019, rideshares like Lyft and Uber are all the rage. The first Uber ride occurred on July 5, 2010, in San Fransisco and a short nine years later, Uber is completing more than 5.5 million rides every day. These modes of transport are operated by individual car owners and pull straight up to a passenger's location and take them to their intended destination, literally door-to-door service. Surely 1970 bus patrons would envy this option offering a more convenient and personal experience, and would likely enjoy not having to rub elbows with strangers.

Travel Safety
In the 1970s, air travel was considered more enjoyable largely because guests had incredible freedom on board. They could smoke, drink, roam freely about the cabin and TSA had not yet turned check-in into the equivalent of being processed into a Turkish prison. However, the level of safety was completely different than that of today. As 1970 rolled around, US Airlines had reported around six crashes per year, nearly all resulting in multiple fatalities. This was also the time of the rise in hijackings. American travelers also experienced residual dangers when they left home to travel since that era's method of home security was merely a bolt lock to protect their homes. In 1970, burglaries were 1,085 per capita.

In 2019, air travel rights have been severely limited, but passengers have become accustomed to taking off their shoes, walking through metal detectors and the occasional private search by TSA. Though flying may be less enjoyable, it is undoubtedly safer. The last fatal aircraft crash in the U.S. occurred more than 10 years ago, and since 9/11, hijackings have become nearly obsolete. The rate of burglary dipped to 430 per capita in 2017, so now through advancements in safety and technology, travelers can order security camera solutions for their homes online and travel with peace of mind.

Overall, man's traveling methods have come a far way since the invention of the wheel, and farther still in the past 50 years. We have moved from bus lines to Uber apps and party planes to safer flights. As far as convenience and safety go, traveling in 2019 totally tops 2017.

Why Staying Healthy is Important for your Children

I have 5 reasons (plus my husband) to stay healthy!


Having a family is often called one of the most rewarding journeys you can embark on. Creating a new life, nurturing them, and watching them grow into their own person is incredibly fulfilling and arguably one of the most important roles you can have as a person.



One vital aspect of parenting is being healthy, not just for your kids, but for yourself. Yes, you want to instill good values in your children and raise them to be healthy, active, and make good choices, but that starts with you first and foremost.



Maybe you’re thinking, “Well as long as I teach them the right habits it will be alright if I don’t practice them myself,” but maintaining good health and habits yourself is just as important, if not more important, and here’s why.



So They Learn Healthy Habits



Making sure your children understand the importance of proper exercise, nutrition, and the necessity to get essential vitamins in their diet is critical and should begin at a young age. How do children learn? By watching you, their parents. You must remember you are a role model to them and anything you do; they will do too.



Get Active



The environment at home can influence and shape how healthy your children become by affecting their perception of diet and physical exercise. If you, as a parent, aren’t active and don’t encourage your kids to be active, chances are they won’t appreciate how important physical activity is to your overall health, and therefore will grow up thinking they don’t need to participate in regular exercise.



It’s common knowledge that proper physical exercise is critical to maintaining good health, so get moving every day and get the family involved.



Eat Healthily



The same goes for teaching your children about healthy eating habits. If your diet is full of unhealthy, fatty, sugary foods, and not balanced with lean meats and veggies, you could be teaching your child not to value healthy foods.



This puts your child at risk for a variety of diseases that are associated with poor diets, like diabetes and heart disease. Try to cook as many meals as you can yourself, and find healthy recipes you and your kids will both enjoy.  



Take Supplements



If you’re finding it difficult to get all your essential vitamins into your diet, consider taking supplements from a health food brand like swanson.co.uk. You can have a conversation with your kids (when they’re old enough to understand) that supplements can be a good way to bridge the gap.



So You Can Be There Every Step Of The Way



As a parent, you want to watch your children grow and be by their side the entire time because you don’t want to miss a single thing. The harsh reality is that if you’re unhealthy or overweight, you might not be able to be there all the time.



Physical activity might be too challenging for you, or illness might strike and you will have to focus on your health rather than seeing your child in their first play, or watching their recital.



Staying in shape and maintaining your own good health ensures you will be able to keep up with your kids, whether you’re biking, playing sports together, hiking through mountains, or just being there whenever they need you.



Take care of yourself above all else: get a good night’s sleep every night, avoid stress, eat well, exercise often, and foster positive relationships. Keep yourself healthy and in shape so you can take care of those around you, especially your family.



If you put the work in for yourself, your kids will notice and grow up to do the same for themselves, and what could be a better life lesson than learning how to take care of yourself?

Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Could Your Career Be Killing You?

Each of us on this beautiful and chaotic planet is doing what we can to create a life for ourselves and provide for those who matter the most to us. We’re raised from childhood to believe that if we do our best, work hard and get good grades in school that the gateway to success will swing open before us. Unfortunately, few of us ever really find this to be the case. After we navigate the path of education we expect to fall into a job that’s well paid, financially rewarding and rich in opportunities for progression and development… Instead we can languish for years in jobs where we’re overworked and underpaid so that the corporations that employ us can suppress our wages to insulate their profits. 


Climbing the career ladder can be extremely frustrating especially for the millennial generation for whom jobs seem scarce and decent opportunities even more so. But the truth is that carrying on in a job that’s bad for you can do more than frustrate you, it can be crippling to your health.

Here we’ll look at some ways in which your career could be killing you, and what you can do about it...

Do you accumulate stress every day, yet have no outlet to relieve it?

Stress kills. There are no two ways about it. In small doses, stress can be okay, but over time chronic stress can affect our bodies in a lot of ways. None of them are good. Chronic stress can increase our chances of cardiac arrest, create fluctuations of weight, weaken our immune systems and prevent us from getting the sleep that our bodies need to repair and rejuvenate themselves.  

Stress is like steam. It can build up all day every day and unless we take steps to relieve the pressure, it can lead to a devastating explosion. Make sure you take the time to relieve your stress. Head to the gym or a yoga class after work. Take a few minutes to practice mindfulness meditation on your lunch break. Hang a punch bag up in your garage and box the heck out of it when you get home after a rough day. Just don’t let it build up to the point where it harms your health.

Is it all about the money with little room for ethics?

When we’re starting out in our careers, it’s all-too tempting to chase after the money. But the trouble is that jobs which are intensely money-driven offer very little nourishment for the soul. They may involve being ruthless, self-serving or even outright dishonest in the name of turning a profit.

Ethically minded people tend not to do well in jobs that have no ethical focus. It may be worth retraining or at the very least volunteering some of your free time to something more rewarding. Maybe you should take a second look at that Grand Canyon University Nursing course. Or that teaching diploma. Or simply volunteering at the old folk’s home. It could lead to a much more rewarding way to spend your days, even if it means taking a pay cut.


Do you feel like you’re losing all the things that make you you?

Finally, do you feel as though your job  is robbing you of your personality, your sense of humor, your creativity and all the things that make you you? 

It’s imperative that you re-engage with these aspects of yourself, even if you keep a punishing work schedule. Make time to see your friends. Go to the movies or the theater. Watch stand up comedy at the local comedy club. Join a dance or acting class. Paint. 

The richer your life outside of work, the better able you are to take whatever it throws at you and live a happy, healthy and positive life!