Month: January 2018

People always assume you need a website because you have a business. But this isn’t always the case. You could have a blog, a information site etc. But whatever the reason is for owning a website, you need to make sure you’re building it with the same principle in mind. You want to attract the user in, and keep them interested by whatever is on your website. This can only be done if it is high quality, and the content you’re writing about is interesting. But when you first create your website you might not know what is needed to make sure it is a good quality website. If you’ve designed a blog, then the chances are that you’ve built it yourself using wordpress, which is fine, but we know there’s going to be a few things you need to change. To highlight some of the main features a website should have, no matter what it is for, we’ve listed a few points that we know will come in handy.

Layout

This is one of the first things you need to be thinking about. As soon as your user enters the website they need everything to be clear and precise. If your layout is all over the shop it’ll get confusing, and will ultimately put people off using your website. Try and keep things as simplistic as possible with this. The simpler it is, the more navigable it is going to be. There are coding techniques to use that now make things so much easier. CSS can be used to create things such as clean, precise tables as well as other features of the website. Infact, a lot of the website can be programmed through CSS. Here’s an intro to web design with FlexBox CSS. If you’re a website selling goods, then you really need to make sure the layout of the payment process is as simplistic as possible. So many companies out there overcomplicate it for absolutely no reason. Have a simple personal details section, followed by the billing address, followed by the card details. Don’t ask people to create a user before purchasing the goods, let them have the option. When people aren’t forced into it it’ll often make them more inclined to actually create a user.

Colour Scheme

Colours are going to play a big part in your website. If you’re a blog, you’ve got more freedom to be a little more creative and colourful without looking too over the top. If you’re a business, people seem to prefer to be looking at a more simplistic colouring style. It is often seen as unprofessional if there’s bright colours all over a business webpage. Keep it neutral and keep people happy. But don’t be afraid to add in a little bit of colour to jazz it up a little. Just don’t go all bright and in your face. With blogging, the more unique your header is the better. There are some really cool designs floating around at the minute that involve watercolour pieces. It is delicate, yet effective.

Professional Help

Designing a blog by yourself is really easy. The platforms that are available to you do become pretty self explanatory, but there are also plenty of guides on the internet that will help you out. When it comes to designing a company website things get a little bit harder. There’s more intricate parts to the website and you’re going to be under a lot of scrutiny about quality. Plus, designing your own website when you aren’t using platforms like WordPress is incredibly hard if you don’t know coding. This is where the help of a professional is going to come into play. All you need to have is a vision of what you want and they’ll create it for you. Just make sure you’re picking someone who is trusted and who will get the job done in the timeframe you need it done within.

Take Inspiration

Sometimes you will just draw up blanks on what you actually want your website to look at. But there really isn’t anything wrong with taking inspiration from other websites that you like the look of. Whatever you do, make sure you’re not straight up copying. You’ll face a copyright legal battle if the website you’ve stole was protected. But at the very least you’ll face people knowing they’ve seen the design somewhere before. But take little hints from different websites and put them together to make your own. For example, you could really like the layout of one website, and love the ordering process of another. Just make them your own and you’ll be fine.

Thanks to the increase in affordable technology and the ever-increasing sophistication of tech, it has never been easier for the average person to start a small business and build it up to be a success on a pretty small business.

Although there is no guarantee that every startup will survive – most don’t even make it past the first year- there are numerous ways that tech can boost your startup and help you make the most of whatever resources, be they time or money, or equipment, that you have available.

Here’s some of the most vital tech any startup should be using:

Cloud Storage

When you take out a loan for a small business, you want to ensure that you use every penny as efficiently as possible, and these days, it just isn’t efficient to store your data on your own server, which is expensive,  requires its own space, and will probably need regular maintenance. No, it is a much better idea to store your stuff in the cloud, where you will be charged a modest sum for the amount of space you use. An added bonus of doing this is that your data can be accessed from anywhere at any time, which means you can let employees work from home for another saving.

Inventory Management Software

Inventory management software is a great way of freeing up time so that you and your employees can concentrate on the challenging task of building your business up. It keeps track of your inventory, automating various manual tasks such as ordering and alerting, so that you can cut costs without having to worry about the state of your inventory.

Social Media

Social media is a fantastic tool for the small business because it gives you a low-cost platform for marketing your goods and services. In the beginning, you should dedicate the toe and money you have to running a couple of social media accounts on the most popular platforms, one of which should definitely be Facebook and the other one which most appeals to your target audience, whether that be Instagram Twitter, or Pinterest. If you post regularly and your content is interesting, you will build a following who you can sell your stuff to at little to no cost.

Mobile Apps

Creating a mobile app, whether on your own or with the help of a professional, has never been easier or more affordable and it is an excellent way to boost your reputation when you’re starting out. If you’re able to create a useful and functional app that appeals to your target demographic, they will download it, and then they’re much more likely to use you in the future.

Hackers

If the bulk of your business is conducted online, and it is vital that your website doesn’t go down, and you data isn’t compromised (that should be all of you really), then it makes sense, once you’ve got things up and running to hire an ethical hacker to find and insecurities in your setup. Yes, it might not be the cheapest way to spend your capital, but think how much more costly a compromised system and a data breach could be, and you’ll see the advantage.

Do you run a small business? What technology have you used to boost your business?

If you’ve managed to save a little bit of money, you’ve got every right to feel a bit smug. So many people are struggling with debts or living hand to mouth that it can be impossible to save. The cost of living is higher than ever, with prices rising all of the time and the average family spending up to $600 a month on food. For some, this can be half of their take-home pay. So, if you’ve got a little money put aside, well done.

However, you can do more than just have savings. You can make your money make money. Make your savings work for you, so that small amount you’ve managed to save for a rainy day starts growing into something more meaningful. An amount that you could do something big with, or to just give you the peace of mind that you have it if you need it. Here are some great ways to make your money work for you.

Invest It

Investing can be one of the best ways to make your money work, and the more you invest, the more you can make. While it’s true that there is always a risk with buying stocks and shares, if you do plenty of research, learn about the market and use tools such as the TD Ameritrade robo advisor, there’s no reason why you can’t do well.

It’s worth bearing in mind that investing your money is so much easier, and more likely to be successful, if you have the right kind of help on board. As we have mentioned already, a robo advisor can certainly help, but you might also want to think about using a wealth management suite as well.

The best of these give you a fantastic opportunity to be able to look after your money, and all the while you can simply allow your money to grow while you sit back and let it happen. Investing your money is a lot easier with this kind of help.

Making use of that kind of help will mean that your investments return a lot more for you.

Move It

For a few years, there was very little point in moving your money. Even so-called high-interest accounts offered pitifully low rates. However, now the interest rates have improved significantly, the easiest way to make your money work for you is by moving your savings into a high-interest account.

Use an online comparison site to find the best rates for your situation, remembering that for some accounts, you could get a bonus payout if you don’t withdraw any money for a set period.

Buy Property

If you’ve got a large amount of money saved up, a property can be an excellent investment. Either buying a house, making improvements and selling it on or buying it to rent it out can make you a lot of money. You will, however, need to look into things like landlord’s insurance and tax and take in to account the cost of any improvements and maintenance.

Pay Off Debts

It can be tempting to leave your debts and focus on saving money. Having savings makes us feel good, safe and comfortable. But, if you’ve got debts, you are paying out money, unnecessarily every month. Use some of your savings to pay off your debts to maximize your disposable income.

Start a Business

If you’ve got some start-up cash and an idea, starting your own business can be an excellent thing to do with your money. However, it could be a while before you start to see profits and it will take a lot of time and hard work to grow. So, don’t use all of your money if you need it for other things and budget carefully to see what you can afford.

Video games are not a thing that only highly talented geeks can play. Nowadays, a variety of devices and games share market positions. From those who invest their savings in building the best possible gaming system to those who like to play occasionally and without significant time and money investments, there is something for every type of gamers. Similarly, the games have also evolved to offer a mixture of tactical challenges and involved storylines to satisfy all personalities. In short, technology has changed significantly since the first Atari console. So it’s fair to ask what are the essential gaming devices and more importantly which device is best-suited for which type of gamer. Indeed, the gaming market needs to target traditional gamers who have created their high-tech gaming solution, individuals who like to play on the go but without shopping for parts or tools, and finally innovation-seekers who want to explore new sensations.

Newcomers can start with an everyday tool

For everyone who considers games an enjoyable distraction, the need for investing in gaming technology is low. That’s precisely why a lot of video games are now designed for use on a standard item in modern households: Your phone. Mobile gaming is an accessible interface for new gamers as it doesn’t need you to handle a keyboard or a remote gamepad. With mobile phones, all you need to use is a tool you use every day already, naùely your fingers. Consequently, the experience can feel more relaxing for people who enjoy a playful distraction but don’t want the stress of learning all the possible key combinations for their character. What do you need to keep your smartphone up-to-date? It’s simple: Download the game app and play.

Getting your laptop up to speed

For experienced gamers who prefer to play on their laptop or PC, you need to keep your tech up to speed. As a result, there are devices that have been specifically designed for the gaming industry, such as laptops running VulkanRT as a graphics API. If you don’t know about the  Vulkan runtime library, you can learn more about this video games driver module here. What this means is that gamers need to keep their device updated, from installing the latest graphics card drivers to ensure that they can continue to have access to newer games designed to be played within specific tech requirements, to buying quality keyboard and mouse – as these are submitted to constant use.

Newcomers can start with an everyday tool

For everyone who considers games an enjoyable distraction, the need for investing in gaming technology is low. That’s precisely why a lot of video games are now designed for use on a standard item in modern households: Your phone. Mobile gaming is an accessible interface for new gamers as it doesn’t need you to handle a keyboard or a remote gamepad. With mobile phones, all you need to use is a tool you use every day already, naùely your fingers. Consequently, the experience can feel more relaxing for people who enjoy a playful distraction but don’t want the stress of learning all the possible key combinations for their character. What do you need to keep your smartphone up-to-date? It’s simple: Download the game app and play.

Getting your laptop up to speed

For experienced gamers who prefer to play on their laptop or PC, you need to keep your tech up to speed. As a result, there are devices that have been specifically designed for the gaming industry, such as laptops running VulkanRT as a graphics API. If you don’t know about the  Vulkan runtime library, you can learn more about this video games driver module here. What this means is that gamers need to keep their device updated, from installing the latest graphics card drivers to ensure that they can continue to have access to newer games designed to be played within specific tech requirements, to buying quality keyboard and mouse – as these are submitted to constant use.

Diving inside the game

VR headsets offer a new dimension in gaming by putting the player directly in the middle of the action. While headsets have been on the market for a few years, they are now affordable, both as mobile or tethered options depending on gaming preferences. However, gamers are still cautious whether a headset is the future of gaming. Indeed, new gaming systems include a footpad VR joystick that can control actions such as flying or walking. In short, wait and see before committing to any purchase.

From touchscreen to high-tech gaming installation, it’s hard to know where the game industry will take us. One thing has never been more real though. The innovative gaming approaches open the door to an array of life enhancements outside of a game platform. Using VR sets could let wheelchair users visit new places safely, for instance.

Life is fast paced and ever changing, and to succeed in business you need to be able to move with the times. A business that does fantastic now could easily be made obsolete within a few years, and so looking ahead and being ready to adapt when needed can help to give your company a successful future. Here are a few of the ways you can future proof your business venture.

Invest in an App

All of the big companies of the world have got on board with apps, and know the fantastic things they can do for business. More sales are now made on smartphones and tablets than on laptops and computers, which is something you really can’t afford to ignore as a company owner. Many smaller and medium sized business still haven’t got on board so it’s something you could consider. Sure, your site may be optimised for mobiles- but an app gives far more benefits. An app is stored on the customer’s phone meaning your details are only ever a click of a button away. You can communicate offers or messages via notifications. An app also makes your company look more trustworthy and reliable too, as you have to be verified to get onto the app store. Particularly when you’re a newer or smaller business, convincing customers that you are who you say you are can be tricky. People tend to prefer to stick to the big brands they know and trust, so anything that can persuade them to give you a try is a good thing. In the near future, an app will be as important to a business as a website is now. However right now, you have the chance to get ahead and do what many of your competitors are missing out on. By the time they get on board, you’ll be way ahead.

Stay up to Date on Technological Advances

Technology is ever advancing, and as a business owner it’s important to be on top of these changes. Are there gadgets, programs or technologies that can make your life easier and improve your business? Are there advancements that could render your business obsolete? It’s important to know how to adapt and change if you come up against this. Take internet cafes a couple of decades ago- once widely used and loved. However the advancement of the internet and it becoming widely available in homes could have rendered them obsolete. However smart owners knew that they could continue with their business by targeting a different demographic. These days internet cafes are used by those in poorer people for things like job searches or for internet sessions for older adults where they can meet and use the web. Others have turned them into study zones for students, who may fancy a change of scenery from their laptop at home or in their dorm room. One of the big technological advances these days that could make or break many businesses is 3D printer technology. Using this as an example, is it something that would affect your business- either positively or negatively? If it’s something that could potentially render your products or services useless, how could you adapt and change your business model so that you’re still useful and relevant?

Keep an Eye on Your Competitors

As with technology, you need to be keeping an eye on what your competitors are doing again in case your business ends up obsolete. While of course you need to be focusing on yourself and growing and improving your business, your competitors will be after the same customers as you and so it’s important to know what they’re doing too. Make sure you stay ahead of the game, read customer reviews and take on board criticism and negative reviews in a constructive way. Use this to make changes that will make your company better and please your customers. Conduct market research to make sure your products, pricing and everything else are right. Don’t just cross your fingers and hope for the best, to secure the customers you need you need to be more appealing than your competitors.

Consider Further Education and Training

Even if your business is going well, it doesn’t mean you should get complacent. Further training or education for either you or your staff is important, it helps to future proof your business by ensuring your skills are up to scratch. Do some research, are there courses you could go on, training days or business seminars you could book? Knowledge is power, continue learning and moving forward and then putting plans into action based on what you have learned.