Five Ways Business Gifts Can Help Your Company
Despite being out of the recession, these are still turbulent times for the economy. With an unstable Euro not helping the stock markets, economies around the world are in a state of purgatory, not knowing whether the recovery will continue of if we’ll plummet back into another recession.This situation makes spending decisions for businesses even more important, and many are staying cautious, aware that the wrong spending decision at the wrong time could have huge consequences.During these prudent times it can be tempting to make cuts in areas such as business gifts and promotional products, but this could be a mistake as it can lead to damage to a company’s reputation and reduced sales.Business gifts are an important marketing tool. There aren’t many feelings that rival that of receiving a gift, and it is an important means of evoking an emotional reaction from an existing or potential client.They also make fantastic staff incentives, which can motivate staff and increase productivity.This list highlights the main ways that business gifts can help to keep your company booming in uncertain times.1. Increased recognition and awareness of products and services.Branded business gifts can raise the profile of your company amongst both new and existing customers. By giving a suitable business gift, you can make sure your existing clients are reminded that your brand is still thriving, and also raise your profile amongst people who might have used a competitor before the downturn. One item on somebody’s desk might be enough to remind them of your company and send business your way.2. Making sure you stand out from the competition.What’s the point of developing a great brand image if nobody ever sees it? A business gift can be a great way of getting across your style, reputation and brand and can be extremely effective if used in the right way. It will make sure yours is the company that everybody is talking about.3. Communicating company values.In the same way that your brand can be communicated through a business gift, your values as a company can as well. It’s all about picking the right product and branding it in a way that gets your message across.4. Creating a positive image in the minds of staff and clients.A positive image is one of the most important things you can project as a company and a business gift can help to do that in so many ways. Whether it’s being seen to be the one who is going the extra mile to impress a client, or reminding everyone that you have come out of the downturn fighting fit, it is vitally important that you attach a positive image to your company to instill confidence and trust.5. Increased sales and enhanced customer loyalty.Of course, brand image means nothing if it’s not increasing sales. But by impressing more people with your brand and image, you are increasing the base of potential customers who will have heard of you and who will want to buy from you. It also never hurts to reward existing customers who have stuck by you in darker times, so promotional gifts will also help to improve customer loyalty by giving them a positive impression of your company.
Earn On Offshore Web Design and Development
If you have some experience in web site design and want to make good money you can try acting as IT-outsourcing partner. Learn more what you should know and how to start.Why offshore web design and development?Offshore web site design and development help to keep prices at least 3-5 times less, for example, average hourly rate of web development services in USA is $35-75; in UK – $25-50, in Ukraine – $5-20.How it works?Typical plan is like that:
You find a client who needs a web site, ask his/her requirements for the project and send to your offshore partner company.
The partner makes a proposal and gives you the project estimation basing on his hourly rate, for example, $10.
You mark up the rate $10/hour as high as you wish (and can – taking into consideration competition in your region, level of demand for web design services, and other marketing factors), for example to $30/hour, and sends the proposal to the client. So if the web design project is estimated on 50 man-hours of work, you charge the customer $1500, from which $500 you pay to your offshore partner company, and $1000 is your profit.
The partner company works on the project and delivers it to you along with copyright for the work.
You deliver the site to the customer.
Result – you have a satisfied client and good profit from the marked up price.How to start?The first and most important step is to analyze market in your region and decide if it’s worth to start this business.If you already have your own web design company it is easier for you because you already know situation in the market, gain certain reputation, have clients list, etc.
But don’t be afraid if you are new to web design business. Believe in yourself and work hard and finally you will be rewarded for all your efforts. As in any type of business, starting the one in web design area, you must ask yourself general marketing questions:1. Who will be your customers?2. Why they will order the web design services exactly form you?3. Where and how they will get to know about you?Without having clear answers to these questions you shouldn’t try to start anything.The second step is to find trustful and reliable partner – offshore web design company – that will work as “development center” for your business. This company must have good experience in web design and development area, good reputation, top level of customer care and communication. There are many resources in the Internet where you can find necessary information – search engines, web design directories, outsourcing portals.For example, you can try searching in search engines for appropriate key phrases “offshore web design”, “offshore web site design”, “offshore web development” and analyze sites of your potential partners.Also here are several sites where you can find lists of offshore web design companies sorted by country.http://web-designers.bluegeckonetwork.com/http://www.theoutsourceguide.com/http://www.1234-find-web-designers.org/How to choose the right offshore web design partner company?There are 2 main factors that determine your choice – cost and quality of web design work.CostBasing on the average web design prices in your local market and your competitive abilities you set prices that you will charge to your customers. There are several methods of web design price calculation, most used are flat price for fixed web site packages, and price based on man-hour rate. Most web design companies operate with both and choose one depending on each project type and requirements.Then you decide which profit you want to have and narrow down your search choosing companies with appropriate price range.QualityConsider the company reputation, portfolio of previous works, testimonials of previous customers, level of communication. Pay attention to payment policy and method, conditions of ready projects delivery, warranties, post-development support and maintenance.If all details are agreed you may start partnership. Sometimes the first project is quite simple to test abilities of both parties and if everything is going well the partnership will bring mutual benefits.
How To Product Launch
When releasing a new product to the marketplace, one of the first questions asked is how to product launch. There have been many strategies and tactics used over the years, as marketing people have devised their own ways of doing things, but one that has been used repeated in many different guises and has stood the test of time is the Product Launch Formula.This is a strategy that has been made popular by Jeff Walker who coined the term after taking what Hollywood and the movie industry were doing for decades. It is a strategy similar to what Apple uses when launching any of their products, and has generated great success with the iPad and the more recent iPhone 4 launches.But what is this strategy to product launch that has generated billions of dollars for Apple with their products, and makes hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide for entrepreneurs and online marketers every year?It can be simplified into 5 steps:Create Or Find A List Of People
Create A Compelling Story Around Your Product
Give People An Amazing Sample Of Your Product
Create An Event With Your Launch Date To Create Excitement
Take The Product Off The Market To Increase ScarcityCreate Or Find A List Of People
No matter how good your product is, unless you have someone who is interested in it, you are not going to get any sales. Building and having a list of customers and prospects is key to your success in a Product Launch. Now, you can start without having a list of your own. But you will need the help of others who do have lists who are willing to market your product to their list.Create A Compelling Story Around Your Product
When you talk to someone about your product, again, it does not matter how good your product is, if they are not engaged when you are talking about it, you will not get the sale. During a Prelaunch, you have to engage your prospects with a compelling story about you and/or your product. The story has to give them a sense of power, that they will achieve a certain result when they buy it, or that it is a lot harder to achieve that result if they do not have it.In the case of Apple products, like the iPad, or iPhone, the compelling story is that the products are just the coolest products on the planet, and having them not only gives you technical excellence from Apple, but super cool status too. The same cannot be said for Microsoft products, but that is a totally different article.Having a compelling story around your product increases the success of your Product Launch, as Steve Jobs has demonstrated time and time again, and multiplies the sales of your product many times over.Give People An Amazing Sample Of Your Product
Just like any movie release, give your prospects an amazing sample of your product. During a Prelaunch you will get samples of what is on offer, and for very good reason. Giving a sample allows people to experience what they are going to buy. By giving them something you generate reciprocity with them, which increases their potential to buy your product. And as with the best Hollywood blockbuster, you get your prelaunch content right, you will have a big pay day when you release it.Create An Event With Your Launch Date To Create Excitement
Staying on the Hollywood theme, every big movie has a release date. This is because they are creating an event around the release. Steve Jobs uses this same strategy to great effect too when Apple releases a new product. You will not see any other electronics company release a product anywhere near the date Apple is taking centre stage. When you have marked your date, you are blocking anyone else in your marketplace releasing on that date. You have the high ground and you are commanding that time. Making an event with your launch puts you and your product in the spotlight and amplifies the buzz around your products launch.Take The Product Off The Market To Increase Scarcity
One of the biggest tactics used in Product Launch Formula is taking the product off the market to create exclusivity and generate scarcity. By taking the product not available, you force the people on the fence to either buy, or not buy. The people who are tempted to buy are forced to purchase the product for risk of not having it. When something is available, and you then take it away, it triggers a reaction in the brain to want it. By taking something away that they had, or potentially had, makes it more valuable. Use this strategy with great caution, as it can backfire if used in excess or incorrectly.
The Fitness of Health Care
Prevention, treatment and management of illness is known as health care, and is provided my trained professionals. It also means maintaining mental balance and caring for physical fitness. For those of us recovering from injury or sickness, this can be done with the help of the services offered by the medical and nursing professionals. To avoid the need to rely on the administering of health care maintaining our health through fitness should be an important aspect in everyone’s life.Unfortunately, far too many people ignore the risks and let their body and mind deteriorate through lethargy and lack of physical activity and exercise. Thus, the majority of the population will have to rely on the services of the commercial medical industry at some point in their lives. Sadly, for to many people, health care is unavailable too them, either due to cost, lack of insurance or lack of access, when they need it most. In developed and developing countries health services are rendered to each and every one irrespective of their capacity to pay. Also some of the government organizations provide the facility of medical care with a nominal fee.Professionals of the medical industry include people who provide services which are related to the preservation or improvement of the health of individuals. Their services also include the treatment of wounded, ill, disabled or feeble individuals. Health care forms a big part of a country’s economy.If you want to save money and have independence in your deciding in when and where to get medical care try home health programs when they are available. This type program helps an individual to be free from the confines of a hospital or any other medical centers. This program can be utilized by those people who need not be confined in a hospital.Home health care programs offer an array of services. These services are done in the console of the patients own home. Home health plans are normally monitored by a doctor. But nurses and auxiliaries carry out the legal period of care in such plans.Health is wealth is a good saying in the present world. So the big question is how we are to provide health care services to every one. We should think of a way to provide medical benefits to one and all. This is the problem which is facing far too many countries in the world.Providing health coverage is a problem of major concern for all countries. If we try to cut one segment of the health care industry in an attempt to save money then every artery of the industry will start to bleed. The most pragmatic way to determine a solution to this trouble is to inquire of the medical professionals themselves who work with the system. They will be able to tell us what, where and how something is wrong.Distributed Health Care Centers, doubtless have become popular because they extend low cost care that is not uncommitted elsewhere. A health center is fundamentally, any agency where health care is distributed, including education on health.Long Term Health Care:An individual who is not fit to take care of himself/herself and also not able to perform his daily duties like eating, having his bath or even dressing on his own may have to rely on long term care. Even certain diseases also make long term care necessary. Long term care need not be received in the hospital it can be received at home also. In general long term care is required by individuals who are 85 years or more. Long term health care is a bit costly and can be undertaken only by those who can afford it.Steps can be taken to make health coverage affordable to one and all.
- The information with regard to health care cost and the medical procedures should be made easily available to consumers so that they are educated on that topic. This will help them to make better health care choices.
- Results and the outcomes of alternative medical plans have to be made available to the consumers. This will help them to take more informative decisions.
- Consumers themselves have to be more responsible towards maintaining their health and knowing when to seek treatment.
- Dizzy lawsuits and the threat of suits make the doctors to practice defensive medicine
- Consumers should allow their physicians to guide them on the most suitable treatment for their sickness or otherwise.
10 Tips For Choosing the Perfect In-Home Health Care Agency
When caring for your aging parent or loved one becomes overwhelming and you need a break, or when extra help is needed with bathing, feeding, dressing, household duties or if caring for them yourself is just not possible anymore, selecting an in-home health care provider is a good alternative.Proper screening is essential to ensure that the person you choose has, not only the skills to provide excellent care, but also the right personality for the job. Consider these tips and hints and you will find that hiring an in-home heath care provider does not have to be stressful.1. Evaluate Your Loved One’s Needs
While some older adults just need assistance with basic living skills, others have additional health care needs that require a special skill set. Therefore, it is necessary to make a list of all of the duties that an in-home health care professional will need to provide so you can narrow down the list of candidates early on. If you are hiring through an agency, give them as much information from the start so they can match you up with someone who possesses all of knowledge and capabilities to give the best care possible to your loved one.
If your home health care worker will be assisting with bathing or dressing, it is important to discuss this with your loved one to make sure that they are comfortable with the gender of the companion. Women or men may become embarrassed when opposite gendered health care workers assist them with personal care and this may cause bath time to become stressful.2. Speak With Local Experts
Before you go to the yellow pages or check out the classifieds for home heath aids, speak with neighbors, doctors, and elder care providers locally who can give you some recommendations and advice. Find out where other families have found in-home help and have them tell you about their experience. An administrator at a local nursing home may also have some suggestions for you on where to locate the best care giver. Support groups are a wealth of information, as well.3. Create a Job Description
When you are ready to begin speaking with applicants and conducting interviews, start by writing a job description. The job duties can serve as talking points for your interview and also give the applicants a clear picture of what will be required of them.4. Prepare Interview Questions
If you are not experienced at conducting formal interviews, you will benefit greatly by having a prepared list of questions. It will help you stay in control of the interview, not miss any key points, and make the best use of your time. Write it all down.5. Outline an Employment Contract
Even if the person you select comes highly recommended and you and your family really hit it off with them, make sure to remain professional. This includes having them sign a contract that outlines your expectations, their duties, as well as boundaries. You can then refer back to the contract should a situation arise in the future. Often Home Health Agencies prepare the contracts themselves. Be sure to read them carefully and add anything that you wish to be included.6. Personally Screen Candidates
Since the person you hire will be spending time alone with your parent or loved one, it is essential that you approve them yourself. Having an agency just send someone over is not acceptable in this situation. Even if they can paint a picture of a candidate’s qualifications, because the job of health care provider is so intimate, personality is equally as important. If your loved one is able to participate in the interview, that is ideal. Regardless, they should spend some time together to make sure that they click.7. Conduct a Background Check
Do not trust your intuition. When you think that you have found the person you want to hire, do conduct a background check to make sure that the person you hire does not have a questionable past.8. Check References
Even if this is their first job in the field of health care, every applicant should be able to provide references. Ideally, these should come from past employers. Otherwise, professors, internship supervisors, and personal references can also be used.9. Protect Your Home and Family
Since the health care provider you hire will most likely have free access to your home, possessions, and family members, find out if they are bonded. It they are not bonded themselves, find out if the agency that you hired them from is. Remember not to leave credit cards, checkbooks and personal papers in unsecured areas.10. Stay Involved
Your job is not over once the contract is signed and employment has begun. The more of a presence you have in your loved one’s life the better. Even if you can not be there in person, scheduling telephone meetings can let the health care provider know that you are involved and on top of things. Ask for progress reports and find out if there are any difficulties. Since the health care provider is around your loved one the most, they can give you the best information about their physical health as well as their state of mind.One way to stay involved is to use a caregiver’s organizer (which we just happen to offer on our website). The Caregiver’s Companion is an organizational tool that has sections for personal information, family history, medications and side effects, medical appointments, and home health care workers notes. I hate selling, but this IS a very good tool in my opinion.
What are anti-ligature blinds?
Anti-ligature blinds are becoming increasingly popular in a range of different settings. The way these blinds differ from traditional blinds is that they are designed to prevent suicide by hanging.
Initially, uptake for this type of blind was largely restricted to high-risk environments such as psychiatric hospitals and prisons, where suicide is common. In mental health environments and detention centres, suicide via hanging is common and preventative measures must be implemented. A huge range of objects could be used to create a ligature point, meaning anti-ligature systems are highly important.
Over the years, anti-ligature blinds have been supplied to hospitals, schools, student accommodation and even hotels.
How do they work?
There are a range of different systems on the market, but the most reliable could well be the magnetic anti-ligature system. YewdaleKestrel® products utilise load release magnets which separate when a downward force is exerted on the product. This means that the product falls to the ground safely and prevents suicide via hanging.
The magnetic systems used in Yewdale’s products are highly reliable because magnets don’t lose their strength for hundreds of years, guaranteeing a lifetime of lifesaving functionality.
Anti-ligature blinds usually have a magnetic connection point above the blind’s barrel. The blind is easy to reconnect to the magnetic bracket after it has fallen to the floor.
If you are considering an anti-ligature blind, Yewdale is a highly recommended company. Based in the UK, Yewdale produce a wide range of anti-ligature products, commercial blinds, and healthcare products including hospital cubicle tracks and medical curtains.
Yewdale produce other anti-ligature products too including a soft, lightweight en-suite door and other accessories such as soap dispensers, toilet roll holder, shelves and artwork. You can see the full range on the website using the link below.