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Month: May 2022

How To Be A Good Lab Manager

Published by Will Chatham on 5/25/2022

Whether you have recently been promoted to lab manager or the position is one you are considering, there is a good chance that the role will require skills that you haven’t thought about. A big part of the job is facilitating new discoveries and undertaking research, but the work doesn’t stop there. Take a look at these skills that make a successful lab manager.

Leadership

Being in a position of responsibility for your whole team can be daunting when you’re first promoted to the role of a lab leader, but when you break it down into consistent parts, it doesn’t need to be. 

Aim to make choices for the good of the whole team. A position of power means that the final decision sits with you so make sure your choices are made for the team and not the individual. 

Make confident choices. A lab manager needs to be willing and able to make critical decisions and inspire the team with logical judgments. 

Maintain enthusiasm and motivation in your team. Listen to your staff, make sure everyone is aware of goals and targets, and make sure employees are working together for the good of the lab. 

Communication

Formal and informal communication are both important for ensuring good team morale and a successful working atmosphere. Make sure you schedule in regular one-to-ones with your team so they can discuss any issues with you before they turn into problems. An approachable and understanding manager is often listed as one of the key factors in employee morale. If you’re looking for other ways to be a good boss, arrange informal meet-ups to allow colleagues to have fun together away from an often intense working environment. 

Managing Projects

A lab manager role has a lot of crossover with the role of a project manager. The completion of a project is a group effort, and often wouldn’t be possible without the rest of your team, but bringing together the many elements of a complex project will fall on the shoulders of the lab manager unless you use a management organization like MRIGlobal. Whether you’re setting timeframes, communicating goals to the rest of the project team or ensuring delivery, project coordination is the key to success. 

Managing Budgets

Government funding can be scarce and applying for grants and funding from different sources is important for a thriving lab. The future of the lab could be on the line without funding, so this is one of the most vital tasks a lab manager undertakes. There are lots of courses that can help you to improve your bid writing, or you could seek advice from senior staff who have more experience doing this. Don’t panic if you’re not good with words. There are agencies that specialize in grant writing or you could hire a bid writer. Spending in this area often has a great return on investment so consider delegating the task if you need to. 

Organizing Meetings

Making sure your meetings are worthwhile and productive can take a lot of work. Whether you are putting together agendas before the meeting, keeping the conversation on track during the meeting, or debriefing the team afterward, organizing meetings will take a lot of skill. Watch how others conduct meetings and work on the skills that you find the most effective in making meetings productive and useful to the entire team. 

Managing Conflicting Priorities

Financial constraints and other commitments often mean that it isn’t possible to prioritize research alone. An important skill for lab managers to have is the ability to juggle these conflicts, ensuring the best quality research while maximizing profit and keeping investors happy. Science is about discovery and innovation, but an effective manager needs to deliver these on time and within budget. 

Creative Problem Solving

As a lab manager, you will be required to think outside the box. By the time an issue comes to you, it is likely that all of the more obvious solutions have already been tried by the rest of your team. Whether it is solving a budget issue through imaginative workaround solutions or offering a fresh perspective on a project that has run out of steam, thinking outside the box is one of many skills you will need to use. Become a better creative problem solver by staying on top of industry news and advances in your field. With one eye on the bigger picture, you are more likely to spot innovative solutions and be in a position to put them into action.

It Pays To Invest In Your Look As A Freelancer

Published by Will Chatham on 5/19/2022

You would hope that your work would speak for itself and that it would be the sole proponent for whether or not you’re able to get clients on board. However, that simply isn’t true. Freelancers need to market themselves every bit as fiercely as entrepreneurs. That goes beyond your website, online marketing, and branding, however. Your appearance matters, as well. Here are a few ways you can ensure that you’re giving off the professionalism that people expect from you.

Dress appropriately for the situation

You might think that one of the benefits of working for yourself is that you get to dress however you like and that is true. When you’re working at home, who’s to say you can’t rock up in a robe and slippers? But when you’re meeting clients or those you’re looking to impress, then you have to ensure a professional dress sense, too. This doesn’t always mean a suit. Going with business casual to a lunch meeting isn’t going to spoil too many chances. But you want to make sure that your clothes fit and that they look like something a professional adult would be happy to wear.

Grooming is just as important

Throwing on a suit jacket isn’t going to be enough if you haven’t been grooming yourself to an eye-pleasing standard. The length and style of your hair are up to you, you just have to make sure that you have your barber tidy it up for you and take care of it with brushing, conditioner, and, when necessary, hair spray. Facial hair is important, too, you don’t want to show up with a patchy beard that makes it look like you just got out of bed. A good smile is vital, too. If you’ve been drinking a little too much coffee and not brushing enough, then you want to invest in a teeth whitening kit. Not only will it help you make a better impression but you can be a lot more confident in your presentation when you’re not feeling self-conscious about your hair or teeth.

Mind your posture

Body language can have a much greater impact on the impression that you leave on people than you might think. If you’re slouched over, shoulders dropped, and head low, it does not exactly make you look like a confident person, which means that it may be harder to put confidence in you. However, sitting straight up with your face straight ahead can make you look a little robotic, too. There are posture fixing apps that can help you correct your body language so that you look confident, calm, and collected, but without looking overly proud or stiff, too.

You don’t need to fit a specific mold to successfully look like a professional that people want to hire. What’s important is that you’re able to present yourself and that you clearly put effort into that presentation. People are shallow with those they don’t know personally. They will judge you at a glance, so it’s important to make sure that you’re judged well.

5 Things To Consider When Setting Up Your Website

Published by Will Chatham on 5/17/2022

Setting up a website can be a daunting task. There are many things to consider, from the design of your website to the content you include. However, you should keep in mind five things when setting up your website. By following these tips, you can create a website that is both user-friendly and effective!

Design

The design of your website should be clean and straightforward. Avoid using too many colors or graphics, making your site appear cluttered and overwhelming. Instead, opt for a sleek and modern design that is easy to navigate.

Your website’s design should also be responsive, meaning it should adjust to fit the screen of any device. With more and more people accessing the internet from their phones and tablets, your site must be accessible on all devices. A responsive design will make your website look great on any screen size!

Content

The content on your website should be well-written and informative. Avoid using industry jargon, making your site difficult to understand for the average user. Instead, focus on writing clear and concise content that is easy to read.

When creating content for your website, include keyword-rich titles and descriptions. This will help your site rank higher in search engines, making it more likely that people will find your website.

Additionally, be sure to update your content regularly. This will keep people coming back to your site, and it will also help you attract new visitors.

Navigation

Your website’s navigation should be easy to understand and use. Avoid using complicated menus or drop-down lists, as these can be difficult to navigate. Instead, opt for a simple menu that is easy to follow.

Your website’s navigation should also be consistent throughout your site. For example, if you have a navigation bar at the top of your site, it should be in the same place on every page. This will make it easy for people to find what they are looking for, no matter where they are on your site.

Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your website for Google and other search engines. By optimizing your site, you can increase your chances of ranking higher in search results, which will make it more likely that people will find your website.

Many different factors go into SEO, but some of the most important include your website’s title and meta tags and the content you have. Be sure to do your research and learn more about SEO before you start optimizing your site.

Use An Experienced Web Developer

If you don’t have experience in web development, it’s essential to use an experienced developer who can help you create a website that is both user-friendly and effective. By working with a professional, you can ensure that your site will meet all of the above criteria.

You will need to use someone who understands how to set up your website correctly to meet all the standards search engines are looking for and decode from URL-encoding. Of course, this will get you more traffic, but it can also help you avoid any penalties that could be applied if your site is not set up correctly.

An experienced web developer will also be able to help you choose the right domain name for your website. This is an important decision, as it can impact both your SEO and your brand identity.

By working with a professional, you can ensure that your website is set up for success.

When it comes to creating a website, there are many different things you need to consider. 

From the content you include to the design of your site, it’s essential to take everything into account. These are five of the most important things you need to keep in mind when setting up your website.

Keeping Your Business Relevant in a Competitive Market

Published by Will Chatham on 5/11/2022

When your business is operating in a competitive market, staying relevant is a challenge. It’s especially difficult when everything is moving quickly and you’re always at risk of falling behind your competitors. However, you don’t have to get left behind if you’re careful about how you grow your business. Staying up to date with what’s happening can help you to ensure your business remains relevant at all times and isn’t overtaken by both existing competitors and emerging brands.

Often, refocusing your priorities and pursuing relentless optimization, while also knowing where to stop, is key. You may decide to outsource your central station monitoring to give you more time to reinvest in your own product development or branding strategy, for example.

You need to stay on the ball if you want to avoid your business becoming irrelevant, so take a look at the following steps you should be taking.

Grow Your Business Faster

Everything can seem to grow at an extremely fast pace in business, especially in certain industries. Being able to keep your business growing and developing quickly is a must if you want to keep up. One of the things you can do is ensure your operations and development are working together. A DevOps consulting service like Continuum Innovations can help your organization to work quickly and develop faster. If you’re developing digital applications, products and services, you can do so faster with the right support and a clear plan for the future.

Know Your Competition

Understanding your competition is always important if you want to be able to keep your business relevant.

Luke Lee, the CEO of Palaleather, says that Market Research is one of the actions most startups or small business owners usually forgo because they could not readily see its relevance in the short term. In the long run, however, knowing your competition through effective market research allows business owners to compete and determine what makes them stand out among the rest.

How can you compete if you don’t know who you’re up against? You might research your competitors when you first set up your business, but that shouldn’t be the end of it. It’s also important to keep an eye on what your competition is doing so that you can respond in the right way. Are they doing something that you should be doing too? Is there a way you should be differentiating your business from theirs so you stand out?

Be Innovative

Innovation is key to keeping your business relevant. You need to be willing to keep your business moving and to look for new ways to do things. You’re not always going to be at the cutting edge and doing things that no one else is doing. But you can find plenty of ways to keep reaching out to your customers, offering more value from your products or services, and building your brand’s reputation and recognition. You can experiment and test out different things to see what works in different areas, from product development to marketing.

Attract the Best Talent

Having the right people working for your business is a must if you want to keep moving forward. You need the best talent working for you if you want people who are able to think innovatively and keep your business developing. Of course, if you’re looking for the right talent, you have to offer people attractive opportunities. Being a good employer is an essential part of making the right hires, so make sure you’re taking care of your employees if you want to attract the right people.

It’s vital to stay on top of your business development and what’s happening in your industry if you want to remain relevant and continue to compete.

What Small E-commerce Businesses Should Get Right From The Word “Go”

Published by Will Chatham on 5/2/2022

Starting an e-commerce business is no easy task. There are so many things to think about – from the products you’re going to sell, to the design of your website, to how you’re going to market your business. But if you get a few things right from the word go, you’ll be in a much better position to succeed. In this blog post, we’re going to look at some of the most important things small e-commerce businesses should focus on.

A Stable, Well Designed Website

The first and most important thing you need is a stable, well-designed website. Your website is the foundation of your e-commerce business, and it needs to be able to do a few things very well.

It needs to be easy for customers to find what they’re looking for, it needs to load quickly and be secure. If your website is slow, difficult to navigate, or isn’t secure, you will lose customers very quickly.

You can do a few things to make sure your website is up to scratch. First of all, invest in a good web hosting plan and make sure your website is optimized for speed. Secondly, use a responsive design so that your website looks good on all devices. And finally, make sure your website is secure by installing an SSL certificate.

A Viable Product Or Service

Of course, no e-commerce business can succeed without a product or service that people actually want to buy. This might seem like an obvious point, but it’s one that many businesses fail to consider.

Before you start your e-commerce business, make sure you understand your target market and what they’re looking for. Once you have that information, you can develop a product or service that meets their needs.

Remember, your product or service doesn’t have to be perfect – it just needs to be good enough to get people interested. You can always make improvements and additions down the line.

Seamless Delivery And Returns

Another important thing to focus on is delivery and returns. If you want to succeed in e-commerce, you need to make sure your customers are happy with the way their orders are being processed, confirmed, and delivered. This could include how well you accept payments, whether you use a virtual POS system or a payment gateway. All important factors to consider are how your system communicates with your customers, what kind of customer service you offer, and how you manage deliveries and returns.

Effective Marketing

Last but not least, you need to make sure your e-commerce business is being marketed effectively. There are a lot of different marketing channels you can use to reach your target market, and it’s important to find the ones that work best for you. There is no use in having a great product or service on a well-designed website with top-notch delivery if no one knows about your business. Marketing helps you to find the customers and scale your business.

There are a lot of different things to think about when starting an e-commerce business, but if you focus on the four points we’ve covered in this blog post, you’ll be off to a great start. Remember, a stable, well-designed website is the foundation of your business. You need a viable product or service; seamless delivery and returns are essential, and effective marketing will help you to find the customers you need to scale your business.