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Custom Banners – Key Benefits for Your Business

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outdoor advertising and banners for marketing

Although the world is increasingly becoming digitalised, traditional methods of marketing and advertising still play a major role in the overall broader marketing mix. Custom banners are no exception. Advertising your business with custom banners at your office, an event or tradeshow can separate you from the crowd. Here are a few benefits of why you should consider a printed banner at your next business event.

It’s Affordable

It isn’t expensive compared to other traditional advertising methods where production costs are much higher. Small businesses in particular can benefit from banner advertising due to the minimal marketing budgets often associated with new businesses trying to find their feet.

Gain More Reach

Although other forms of marketing and advertising offer more targeted solutions, custom banners present your business with a much higher reach to a wider range of potential customers. Depending on your overall business objectives, this usually suits a business looking to gain more exposure rather than direct sales (although often going hand in hand). It is also a great way for you to cement your branding and identity in the minds of these potential customers while you’re at it too.

Repetition & Consistency Establishes Identity

In most businesses overall marketing strategy, a key element is to establish their branding and identity. This is achieved through repetitive and consistent branding. Custom banners a great way in achieving this as they are not only affordable, but also very versatile too. You can hang your custom branded banner out the front of your building or office as a permanent set-up, while also having a couple of back up ones that can be taken to events and trade shows should the opportunity arise. Either way, the more potential customers see your brand the more your business will jump to mind when potential customers are ready to buy what you are offering.

They Are Effective

A well designed and printed custom banner is a proven advertising tactic. Because signs and banners are such a natural part of our daily environment, many people pay attention to signage, either directly or indirectly. When coupled with design principles that grab customers’ attention – such as inclusion of graphics, a recognizable logo or colour scheme and concise copy – custom advertising banners are a very effective means of getting your message across to potential customers.

A New Way to Hire Staff for Small Businesses

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If you’re a small business and you’re finding it hard to hire staff, here are some handy tips that can help you save time and money.

With the introduction of a new technology known as On Demand, hiring staff has never been easier. Not only are you able to hire a worker at a click of a button but these workers are also contracted, meaning that you are able to negotiate an hourly price for the work that needs to be done.

With the introduction to being On Demand, companies like Uber and Airbnb are paving the way for this new type of economy. The On Demand economy works in a way that you only use and pay for a service or a good when you need it and for the amount of time you need it. Uber and Airbnb are in the logistics and accommodation industries respectively and are both large multinational companies. However, at the core, both of these companies are formulated to take away the middle man and save on costs wherever possible. 

The On Demand economy has since expanded into other industries including recruitment. Recently, companies like Workfast and Freelancer have launched web and mobile applications that connect employers with workers.

Casual work in Australia has been on the rise over the past decade with a current estimated 3.2 million Australians taking on some form of casual work.

For workplaces, having a team of casual staff can save on costs by being able to scale workforce in accordance with demand. The go both ways and for workers, this means that they are able to be flexible with their role and have a better balance between work and lifestyle.

Some benefits in hiring casual staff for small businesses:

Easy to hire with new technology

With the introduction to new applications hiring reliable and vetted staff has never been easier. New hiring platforms such as Workfast and Freelancer allow you to view profiles of potential employees before you decide to hire them. The profiles are all categorised into specific industries and you can view previous employer ratings and comments before you commit.

Scaling your business with demand

For small businesses, it may be difficult to project when, where and for how long busy periods will last. A cafe or restaurant may need to hire a casual worker due to its unpredictable nature of hospitality with customers. Casual staffing on weekends and sporadically throughout the week may be the only option for these businesses.

Diversity of workers

Having a diverse pool of workers means that workplaces can keep things fresh and relative to industry standards. Many casual workers or temporary workers are students who need the flexibility of balancing study with work. Single parents make up a proportion of these workers as can work a few days a week in between looking after their families.

Hiring staff can be a difficult task for small businesses. However, by arming yourself with knowledge of how workplaces and workers are evolving, you can be better prepared for the future success of your business.

Three Sources of Extra Income that You Could Be Capitalising On

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chart trading

 

It is human nature to want more. Although you may be lucky enough to have a beautiful home, two cars parked on your driveway, and the funds to holiday abroad at least once a year, it’s a given that if someone told you there were ways to increase your income, you would want to hear about them. Well, here we are, and we’re telling you exactly that.

Intrigued? Then here are three ideas to inspire you…

#1: Seek a Pay Rise or Promotion

 

The obvious place to begin if you’re hoping to increase your monthly income is with your employer, and if you’ve been working hard and delivering good results, it may be time to seek a reward. A lot of people lack the confidence to raise such an issue with their manager or boss, but it’s only fair for your efforts to pay off. Women, in particular, have been shown to be too embarrassed to actively try to secure promotion or a wage increase, yet studies indicate that such requests are often successful, and even on the occasions when they’re not, they’ll usually help to put you at the forefront of your employers’ mind when the next opportunity arises.

#2: Freelance

 

If a wage increase or promotion is not on the cards, it’s time to think outside of the box and start looking for opportunities elsewhere. Freelancing can be a great place to start, and whether it’s using your existing skills to earn a little extra money on an evening, or taking advantage of a hobby and offering tuition to others, there are lots of talents that you can capitalise on. Tout for business both online and locally to maximise your chances of attracting interested parties, and then sit back and wait for your future clients to contact you.

#3: Investing

 

If you’d like to try something else entirely, investing is another option for you to consider. There are dozens of different markets and financial instruments to choose from, from stocks to futures to forex. With various levels of risk and reward across different assets, there’s something to suit everyone, and profit-making opportunities abound. Brokers like AxiTrader are usually all too happy to speak to potential traders, and will offer you the chance to demo their platforms so you can decide whether investing is really right for you before you have to commit.

If you’re looking to boost your income, could one of these methods work for you?

How to Stay Competitive in the Forex Market

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forex trading

The forex markets have changed a lot in the past few decades, becoming ever more competitive for individual traders and brokerages alike. In order to be successful when exchanging currencies these days it is important that traders maintain a competitive edge. There are many ways in which this can be done for both traders and brokers.

Who is the Competition?

Firstly, it is important that you know who the competition is. For forex brokers this is simple, it will just be all the other forex brokers on the market. Working out their strengths and weaknesses can help you to fine tune your own forex brokerage, by building on their successes and finding solutions to their weaknesses.

For individual traders, working out the competition can be a little trickier, but it does exist. High priced brokers charging a high spread are the obvious ones, wanting to ensure that you plough as much money into their firm through losses. The other competition can be yourself. Blaming yourself for failed trades, letting emotions get involved and risking large losses are all down to yourself.

Build a Successful Trading Plan

As a trader you should have a quality trading plan already to hand, and it should be developed to be as competitive as possible. Still, it is important to factor risk into this strategy, as if things do go wrong then you will need to maintain enough capital to continue trading forex in a competitive manner.

Seeking out expert financial advice can help in this respect. Forex brokers need a successful business plan themselves, to ensure that they aren’t losing out when helping traders. Put this together with your aims in mind and building on the strengths of competitors.

Use Efficient Trading Platforms

Competent forex trading platforms allow for competitive trading, as currency can be exchanged quickly and accurately. They also provide the most up to date information, news and analysis to keep traders well informed. If you’re a trader, then investing in a flexible forex platform is essential to stay competitive.

For forex brokers, developing and offering such platforms is a necessity to stay ahead of the competition. Mobile and tablet trading apps are now offered by almost every brokerage firm, so to keep up with the competition your company must have developed these as well. To stay ahead of the competition, it will need to be using the latest technology in its products.

Forex Broker Offerings

As well as staying up to date with the latest forex trading technology, brokers need to be offering attractive rates to traders that still fit in with their business model. This will help them draw in more traders.

The days of charging large brokerage fees are going, as more and more traders exchange currencies independently thanks to the advancements in technology. This is making it harder for brokers to survive and remain competitive, so they are having to look at new and innovative approaches. Whether you’re a trader or work for a brokerage firm, staying competitive in the forex game is essential.

Treasurer Scott Morrison slams banks for not passing on full interest rate cuts

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ScreenHunter201560 Aug. 03

Australia’s Reserve bank has reduced interest rates to a record low, cutting its cash rate from 1.75% to 1.5%. while the reserve bank board and government hopes the further cut will boost the labour market and economic growth, the banks are not entirely supporting this.

Banks in recent times have either not been passing on the interest rates reduction fully or delaying passing on reduction in mortgage rates , in the process making millions of dollars while they delay.

The big four banks caught most people off guard by actually lifting some key deposit rates and increasing their revenue.

Commonwealth Bank will cut its standard variable interest rates for mortgages by 0.13 percentage points. The biggest major bank reduction was Westpac’s 14-basis-point cut for some of its home loan customers

· Commonwealth Bank  by 0.12 percentage points

· ANZ by 0.12 percentage points

· National Australia Bank 0.10 percentage point

· Westpac Bank  by 0.14 percentage points

Treasurer Scott Morrison Yesterday told Sky News "we would like to see them pass all of these things on".

"What we’ve seen from at least the two that have made a decision is not the traditional response," Mr Morrison said.

"It’s not like they didn’t pass it all on and did nothing else. What they’ve done is they’ve cut their mortgage rates and they’ve increased their deposit rates."

Mr Turnbull said the cuts were not enough. Addressing media in Canberra, he said the banks should pass on the rate cut in full or explain the decision "fully and comprehensively" to their customers

RBA governor Glenn Stevens said in a statement recent data suggested growth was continuing at a moderate pace, despite a big decline in business investment.

Tuesday’s board meeting was Mr Stevens’ second last. He will be succeeded on September 18 by his deputy, Philip Lowe.

6 Compelling Reasons to Start a Photo Booth Business

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The photo booth is one of those recreational items that has earned an iconic status over the years. It has been seen in blockbuster movies and many of our favourite television shows too. In fact, the photo booth has kind of become shorthand for ‘hijinks with friends’ and ‘romantic trysts’ with new beaus. And, its appeal lies with the fact that, even though time spent in the booth itself may be fleeting, it leaves you with something special to take away.

You can keep your photo booth snaps as a memory of a happy time in your life, whether they are taken at a wedding, a family party, or a high school formal. This is something that all of us find appealing, in one way or another, because such permanence can be fleeting in our fast paced, digital world. For all of these reasons, setting up a photo booth business is a guaranteed way to earn cash and have fun at the same time.

Keep reading for more great reasons to think about establishing your first photo booth business.

1. Getting Started is Simple

Contrary to popular belief, this is one of the simplest business models around. You don’t need to invest in a whole lot of stock and because photo booths are portable, you won’t necessarily need a dedicated premises to operate out of either. The main thing that you need to do is buy a custom photo booth that is built in accordance with your needs.

2. Photo Booths Are Lots of Fun

The best way to make money as a photo booth vendor is to make your services available for hire to parties and celebratory events. So, you’ll get a chance to be around happy people, who are keen to have a good time. This is the kind of work atmosphere that few business owners get the chance to be around.

3. The Start Up Costs Are Low

It really doesn’t cost much to set up a photo booth business. In fact, most of the initial expense is invested in marketing and promotion. If you are on a tight budget, you can even thinking about leasing a booth until you’ve got the capital to buy one outright. As discussed, there are few early stock costs and you don’t need a dedicated premises.

4. You Get to Be Your Own Boss

For a lot of people, there is nothing better than the dream of owning an independent and self-sustaining company. It allows you to determine your own working hours and you don’t have to answer to a boss who doesn’t understand your needs. With a photo booth business, you are in charge and can decide the direction, theme, and objectives of the company.

5. It Could Be a Tax Benefit

In some cases, running a small business comes with certain tax perks. This is not assured and the only way to know for definite is to talk to an accountant, but it is certainly worth a little consideration. You must always be clear on your tax status before you make any decisions about when or how to pay.

6. Photo Booths Are Always Popular

The great thing about choosing a photo booth service for your first business is the fact that these items are timeless. Yes, they have a retro appeal, but it is a vibe that never goes out of fashion. Photo booths are iconic and always relevant, no matter what popular trends are saying. If you can work out how to appeal to the best market, you’ll always have a lucrative business model.

How to Capitalise on the Popularity of Photo Booths

The wonderful thing about photo booths is that they are almost an instant business all by themselves. To be a success, you do need marketing tools and an efficient form of transportation, but technically, the company is all in the booth itself. You could purchase one tomorrow and start making money right away; it really is that easy. So, if you want to get a business off the ground quickly, this could be the right choice for you.

The On Demand Economy

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Over time the consumer service model has evolved with consumer demands. Over the past 5 years many industries have adapted to the On Demand community.

apps on mobile

Traveler’s for instance are using Uber to replace taxi drivers and people are also opting to use AirBnB for accommodation as opposed to hotels and motels. The change in consumption has been due largely to the process being more cost efficient.

As the consumer On Demand service model has evolved, so has the On Demand business-to-business (B2B) model.

At the forefront of the On Demand B2B model are Millennial workers wanting more flexibility in their work and life balance. From sales and marketing to HR and copywriting, companies and organisations are utilising the On Demand platforms to gain a competitive advantage through faster and smarter scaling of their workforce.

There is a big movement in the creative sector where companies are using On Demand platforms like Workfast and Freelancer to assist in creating campaigns for particular projects. The reason for this change is largely due to the nature of these projects having fixed in rates and also a fast turn around.

Keep an eye out for the following apps:

Workfast

Businesses can use the Workfast On Demand work platform to hire a worker in any industry for an hour, a week or a month. It offers independent contractors who bid on the job posted. What makes this app attractive is that it offers reviews of workers from previous employees. You can then align yourself with workers that you feel are most fitting.

Directly

Directly is an app that helps improve customer service. It remotely connects workers to supportive roles where customers get expert help. Directly workers are rewarded on their knowledge of their clients business and their ability to help customers solve issues.

Andela

Another app Andela works with startups to provide the top one percent of developers On Demand. Their alumni is based on problem solving abilities, technical training and professional development.

Axiom

Axiom works as an On Demand legal service. It works with over 1500 employees over 3 continents.

It specialises in many industries including tech, media and financials services.

Important factors to consider before buying a Hosted PBX phone system

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EPABX Telecom System

With global internet speeds increasing & dependability on communications so prevalent, many organizations are considering making the move to a VoIP phone system. Hosted PBX is a type of VoIP system that allows a business to eliminate expensive, on-site phone system hardware and utilize cloud PBX infrastructure to run their phone system. Moving to this type of service has many benefits along with its associated risks. When implemented correctly, a Hosted PBX phone system can significantly improve the way an organization communicates & reduce expenditure by up to 50%.

Below are 5 key questions to ask your supplier when you are evaluating the transition to a Hosted PBX phone system.

 

  1. How secure is the VoIP system?

As Hosted PBX phone systems are located on servers on the internet, they can be prime targets for hackers. If the system is not properly protected, an intruder is able to make calls from your phone system and run up massive costs in a very short period of time by calling international premium phone numbers. If you are considering a Hosted PBX solution, it is essential to make sure the security measures of your VoIP provider are up-to-date and that they have state-of-the art hardware and software firewalls in place to protect your system from unwanted intruders.

 

  1. Are your current phone requirements supported?

Even though VoIP phones have more features that traditional phones, sometimes the VoIP phones will not support simply functions that you use on your current PABX phone system. Ask your supplier if their Hosted PBX platform supports functionality such as call parking, BLF (Busy Lamp Field) indicators on phones, intercom functionality and call queuing. These are basic functions that 20-year-old PABX phone systems can support, yet some Hosted systems cannot replicate. Request a demo of the proposed phone system so you can try before you buy.

 

  1. Is faxing supported on VoIP?

Sending & receiving faxes over VoIP technology can be both challenging and erratic. Fax technology was only designed with analog networks in mind. If faxing is essential in your business make sure you have a fax service that will work over VoIP and work the way you need it to. Some suppliers provide an ATA (analogue telephone adapter) that works with your existing fax machine while others provide full cloud fax solutions. Understand how faxes work over VoIP with your provider prior to switching.

  1. What happens if the system goes down?

If the Hosted PBX provider’s system is not available, your phones will not be able to access the system at all. This means you will not be able to make or receive calls. Missed calls can cost an organization millions of dollars of lost revenue depending on how long the system may be down. However, in the event of a system outage Hosted PBX systems have unique & flexible abilities to automatically forward calls to another network, such as a mobile phone or backup PSTN service. It is important to find out what backup measures are offered by your provider for in the event of an outage. A total internet network outage maybe be when there is a local power failure, or a physical on-site hardware fails or potentially when the provider’s system/server goes down. Automatic failovers are essential for continued operations when running a Hosted PBX.

 

  1. Can the system be scaled or upgraded?

One huge benefit of a Hosted PBX system is that there are often no restrictions to how big or small your system can scale to. Providers will structure their plans and infrastructure differently so ask them what restrictions there are on extensions & simultaneous calls. Make sure you think ahead because how you communicate today is completely different to how you communicated 3 years ago, and it will be completely different in another 3 years’ time.

6 ways biking can boost your productivity, creativity, and bottom line

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by: Hunter Walsh

biking in cycle city
Encouraging employees to ride a bike to work is growing in popularity not just because of cycling and employee wellness trends, but because it makes sense for both employers and employees to take advantage of the many benefits cycling has to offer. Today only about 1% of Australian workers cycle to work while about 66% drive, according to data from The Heart Foundation. Motivating and supporting active transportation can make a significant improvement in the health and wellbeing of your employees and your business.
1. Inactivity is a killer.
Physical inactivity like sitting at a desk all day and driving to get around instead of walking or cycling takes a toll both physically and financially. Johns Hopkins Medicine reports that physical inactivity is a known risk factor for high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, anxiety, depression, cancer and obesity. KPMG – Econtech data reports costs of physical inactivity in Australia to be $719 million in healthcare costs, and $9.2 billion in productivity cost. Cycling to work is an excellent solution because it’s efficient – combining exercise and transportation. Healthier workers make a healthier workplace, and cycling makes people healthy and happy…
2. Cycling makes employees happier.
A study conducted at the University of Sydney surveyed 846 urban commuters in Sydney and found that commuter cyclists are happier than drivers, pedestrians and people using public transport. About two times happier, to be exact, which leads us to reason number 3
3. Biking to work boosts productivity.
Happy employees are about 12% more productive, according to a study by economists at the University of Warwick. “When I bike to work I’m refreshed and relaxed,” said Lia Weston, partner at Bio-Mechanics Cycles & Repairs in Adelaide who has been cycling to work for 7 years. “The movement wakes me up.” Many people who cycle to work liken their morning ride to a cup of coffee, and the data backs up that feeling. A study of 100 employers conducted by Cyclescheme found that two-thirds of employers surveyed reported that employees who cycle to work are more energetic and productive.
4. Cycling improves mental health.
A long-term commuter study (10 years) looked at workers who commuted by car, public transportation, foot and bicycle. Thestudy, conducted by University of East Anglia’s Norwich Medical School and the Centre for Health Economics at the University of York, evaluated all types of commuters and took a closer look at those who had switched from commuting by car or public transport to active transportation like cycling. They found that those who made the switch had improved concentration and less stress.
5. A ride a day keeps the doctor away.
Employees who regularly cycle to work take one day less sick leave per year on average than their non-cycling colleagues, according to study findings from Dutch Research and Testing organization the TNO conducted on behalf of Tineke Huizinga, the deputy minister for traffic and works. The same report says that every 1% increase in the number of employees that cycle to work saves their employers nearly €27M per year due to lowered costs due to illness and absenteeism.


6. Parking cars is expensive. Parking bikes, less so.
A parking space can fit a single motor vehicle and cost about $22,000 to build. In comparison, that same space can fit as many as 20 bicycles in a bike rack, which costs only about $400 to install.
Bike shops Bio-Mechanics Cycles & Repairs in Adelaide and Ivanhoe Cycles and Melbourne Bicycle Centre in Melbourne have teamed up with global public health alliance My City Bikes to create beginner biking resources that assist entry level riders learn where to bike safely in their city.

These resources can help employees who are new to cycling find safe routes and need-to-know safety and maintenance information so they can start biking to work. For more information about beginner biking and organized workplace wellness programs to encourage cycling to work, visit mycitybikes.org/australia-work.