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Australia’s Most Wanted: Here Are Top In-Demand Professionals in Australia

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If you’re like most people, career choice is quite a challenging subject.

Aside from trying to identify a career that aligns best with your aptitudes and passions, you also want to pick a profession with excellent job prospects.

Unfortunately, not all careers are in demand. It is not uncommon for people to go without work for extended periods of time.

The following are some top in demanded careers in Australia.

1. Aged Care

According to recent estimates, 1 in 7 Aussies is aged 65 and above.

This creates a need for aged care professionals in nursing homes, aged care hostels and private residencies.

These professionals provide the support required for older people to function in their day to day lives.

This means helping with cooking and grooming, socializing, implementing an exercising program, and assisting with drug administration and so on.

2. Health Care Professionals

Health care professionals are in demand almost anywhere in the world. Australia is no exception.

Practitioners of this noble profession oversee client health, both preventative and restorative.

However, healthcare professionals are not created equal, and some are more sought after than others.

See a more detailed look into the most in-demand health careers in Australia here.

3. IT Security Experts

As technology penetrates most industries, so does the need to protect systems and data grows.

These professionals set up computer system protections to help minimize instances of cyberattack and data loss. It is also their job to identify possible security loopholes and advise accordingly.

Both of these occurrences can injure a brand’s reputation and cause significant losses to a business.

4. Child Minders

Australian moms get 52 weeks of parental leave, after which they resume duty.

During this time, parents without family near them opt to leave their kids in daycare centres with daycare workers. These childminders then monitor the kids, feed, bathe, and administer medicine as per parent’s requests.

To become one, a natural love for kids and a first aid course can help you get started.

5. Wellness Managers

More and more employers are becoming more attuned to the benefits of their employees’ mental and physical wellbeing.

Wellbeing managers are usually a part of the HR team. Most often, they have a stellar record in HR processes, alongside being creative problem solvers and mediators with an uncanny ability to get along with others.

As a wellness manager, you will be tasked with designing and implementing policies that promote the physical and mental wellbeing of staff members on all levels of an organization.

Fully functional and happy employees tend to perform better and stay longer with a company.

High employee turnover is expensive and disruptive to a business.

6. Construction Managers

Australia has a booming construction industry creating a strong demand for construction managers.

These professionals work with site owners, contractors, architects, and suppliers to ensure project completion.

To be successful in this role, you have to be well-organized, able to manage pressure and have the flexibility to adapt to the volatile construction industry.

To get started, you will require a relevant degree, coupled with some on-site work experience. Some construction managers begin at the bottom on-site, accumulate experience and eventually take up construction management jobs.

Final Word

The other common characteristic with most in-demand jobs is that they attract good remuneration and other perks.

While this is a plus, it should not be your only consideration. Look more into these careers vis a vis how they align with your personality and aptitudes to settle on one.

One thing is for sure, though, whichever one you pick, you will be guaranteed to find many employment opportunities.

Dental Care – 5 Tips For Taking Good Care Of Your New Dental Veneers

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Source – Unsplash – Austin Wade

Getting dental veneers is a worthy investment in your image and self-confidence. However, they aren’t permanent, and they won’t always look presentable if you don’t take care of them. To protect your investment and your wonderful new sense of self-esteem, here are five tips for taking good care of your new dental veneers.

  1. Get The First Stage Right

One of the best ways to ensure your veneers stay beautiful for a long time is by getting the best veneers in the first place. Porcelain veneers tend to be more durable and higher in quality than composite veneers, making them a sound investment in your smile. In addition, getting your veneers fitted by an exceptional cosmetic dentist will ensure you’re as well-equipped as possible to take care of your new smile moving forward.

  1. Don’t Try And Fix It Yourself

The average American has less than five hours of free time each week. If that rings true for you, then it makes sense that an issue with your veneers would be a major inconvenience. Who has time to go all the way to the dentists to fix an issue that you could fix yourself? There are DIY videos, guides, even products to help non-qualified individuals fix dental issues themselves. Sounds great, right?

Please, for the love of your dental health and hygiene, do not look these videos up! Although there can be a place for temporary emergency fixes if you absolutely have no way to see a professional right away, most of the time, it is better to hotfoot it to the dental clinic ASAP. With expensive veneers, any issues need to be addressed by the professional who fitted them. Attempt to do it yourself, and you will likely make matters worse.

  1. Stay On Top Of Your Oral Hygiene Game

Veneers are attached to a healthy tooth and kept in place by a healthy gum. If you neglect your oral hygiene, you will put your dental veneers at risk. The best way to get your dental regime right is to visit a hygienist regularly for professional cleans and personalized cleaning guidelines.

  1. Watch What You Eat

When you have veneers, you have to watch what you eat for two reasons: veneer security and stain prevention. Foods like crusty bread, toffees, and tough meats could all pull your veneers off and damage them in the process. Meanwhile, foods like ketchup, tomato soup, coffee, tea, and wine could stain your veneers. Watching what you eat will help keep your veneers in good shape long-term.

  1. Stop Smoking

14 out of every 100 Americans smoke. We all know smoking is horrendously bad for our health, but if that isn’t enough, you should know that it is also bad news for your veneers. 

Smoking puts your teeth at risk as you are more likely to get gum disease, which compromises the solidity of the teeth your veneers are attached to. In addition, smoking can create unsightly discoloration and tar marks. Why not give yourself an extra something to smile about with your new veneers and quit smoking for good?

“A smile is the light in your window that tells others that there is a caring, sharing person inside.” – Denis Waitley

If you have invested in some gorgeous new veneers, it makes sense to protect them by following the tips above and sticking closely to any guidance offered by your dentist.

With the right care and attention, your stunning new smile will last a long time, giving you many more years of improved confidence and aesthetic joy.

How to Have a Better Ergonomics in the Workplace

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It has become increasingly clear that workers in many industries are at ergonomic risk. This can lead to them doing painful and irreparable damage to their bodies. While this has long been true, it’s now a major concern for companies because workers are taking legal action against their employers for routinely making them work in inherently ergonomically risky workstations and courts and judges are awarding them large judgements. Further, wise and caring employers and concerned employees want to make sure workspaces and working conditions are not ergonomically risky and prevent work-related physical ailments from developing.

Assessing Ergonomic Risk

There are several things employers and employees can look at in the workplace to determine if spending 8 hours a day there puts the employee at great ergonomic risk. This ergonomic risk assessment can be accurately made by answering the following questions.

1. What is ergonomics?

Ergonomics is an applied science that is concerned with the design and arrangement of workspaces to ensure workers can do their jobs safely, effectively and efficiently. This area of applied science is sometimes referred to as biotechnology, human engineering or the focus on human factors in the design and arrangement of furniture and equipment.

2. What is ergonomics in the workplace?

Ergonomics in the workplace is making sure the design of the workstations doesn’t lead to unavoidable injuries to the workers and limit their productivity. Thoughtful arrangement of the tools and equipment in the workstation improves workplace ergonomics. Proper workplace ergonomics requires ensuring when the worker is seated, their feet can be flat on the floor and their hips held at an angle of between 90 and 120 degrees. For workers using computers, the height and angle of their chair, keyboard and monitor must be able to be adjusted to optimal positions for comfort and productivity.

3. What characteristics in the workstation improve employee well-being?

Ideally, it should be practical for employees to periodically stand while continuing to work. For employees using computers, the top of the monitor or screen should be level with their eyes. Plus, it’s best for the worker if the screen is at least 50 cm from their eyes and their wrists can remain flat when they’re typing. Further, the worker’s upper arms should be parallel to their torso and their shoulders should be relaxed. Items they use most should all be within easy reach. Those factors all help to improve the ergonomics of an employee’s workspace.

4. What are the dangers of poor ergonomics in the workplace?

Poorly designed workstations can cause worker fatigue and frustration. This leads to painful musculoskeletal injuries, lower productivity, as well as poor product quality. The most common workplace ergonomic risk factors are high task repetition done using forceful exertions in sustained awkward postures. That combination overloads muscles and tendons, puts excessive strain on joints and increases the likelihood of musculoskeletal fatigue and serious injury. The risk of injury is increased if workers don’t take adequate rest breaks.

To ensure employee workspaces are ergonomic, regular, ongoing, objective, scientific risk identification and reduction tests should be performed. Trained inspectors should see if workers regularly take awkward posture, use excessive force and put unsafe amounts of stress on their joints while performing their assigned tasks. Failure to do so can cause an ergonomic nightmare that endangers the health of the worker, lower the quality and quantity of their work and damage the company’s reputation.

5. What is an ergonomically-friendly workplace?

An ergonomically friendly workplace is one that uses proper workspace design and production techniques to protect worker health and enhance the quality of their work. But healthy, productive, workplaces don’t happen by accident. They require collaboration between the employers and employees to do what’s best for the long-term health of the workers and the success of the company.

An ergonomically-friendly workplace is one where regular, objective, scientific workplace analysis using ergonomic risk measuring tools are used to conduct ergonomic assessments that are accurate. Plus, engineering and administrative controls should be implemented. Engineering controls use ergonomic modifications to reduce or eliminate awkward postures. Administrative controls set procedures and processes like counteractive stretch breaks, proper body mechanics, job rotation and work practice controls to reduce the risk of MSD injury.

6. How many hours of working in a standing position is safe?

Creating an ergonomically positive workplace is also essential for workers who spend long periods of time on their feet. According to the organization Occupational Health & Safety, standing for long periods while working leaves people susceptible to hospitalization with varicose veins. Frequently changing positions from standing to sitting to walking, works best. It’s not recommended workers remain static standing or sitting if they want the most ergonomic position.

Standing for prolonged periods

Workers whose jobs call for standing for prolonged periods often have to endure heel pain and foot arch pain that may require visits to a podiatrist. Those workers who work standing and have pre-existing heart disease are more susceptible to being hospitalized with carotid atherosclerosis. Sufficient breaks, proper posture and good ergonomic practices can protect the health and reduce the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders in workers that stand or sit for long periods at work.

Final Thoughts

Poor ergonomics in the workplace negatively impacts workers’ health and their employers’ bottom line. With a clear understanding of the importance of proper ergonomics in the workplace, diligence and regular inspections, concerned employers and employees can dramatically reduce ergonomic risk and create better workplace ergonomics.

4 Awesome Activities To Overcome The Boredom At Work

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A good bit of your workday is spent finding things to do. No, don’t jump to your own defence here – everyone knows it’s true, and it’s fine! The standard workday is a product of the industrial era, and work hours never changed the order to meet the rising efficiency from automated systems. Unfortunately, that means human workers have to sit around and find a way to look productive during their downtime. Even worse, most workplaces tend to frown on you when you catch up on your shows on your favourite streaming service or engage in a long-distance chat with distant relatives. You’re going to look for things to do when you’re bored, then, you’ll need to be discrete.

Boredom at work can also be a side effect of stress. The modern workplace is one that is full of stressors, and those who find themselves with too little to do might be wondering what that means for their future. Working people are seeking out for mental health support nowadays. If you want more out of your career, you’ve got to learn how to deal with the stress your job brings you. For many, that means taking the time to figure out activities that let you do the most with your downtime. Some of these activities may be fully productive, while others might exist just to allow you to relax. No matter the case, you deserve to find ways to relieve stress at work without getting in trouble.

Create New Procedures

The best way to kill time at work and reduce your stress is to create better methods of time management. Most boredom at work doesn’t just come from sitting around – it comes from poor time management. Take some time to create a realistic to-do list for yourself at work, giving yourself a reasonable amount of time for each task. You can update this list as you rotate through different activities and bring down your work time on each item. Not only will this help to cure boredom, but providing yourself with structure is one of the best ways to relieve stress.

Clean Your Space

If you’ve ever worked a retail job, you’ve heard the old adage about how those with time to lean have time to clean. While you might not be working retail any longer, this is actually a valuable piece of advice. A clean workspace is a safer workspace and one that is more efficient. Reducing your clutter can also help you to reduce your stress, providing you with a better base from which to improve yourself. Even if you only clean out of boredom, you’ll probably still get bonus points from the boss for having an organized space.

Solve The Puzzle

Have you ever heard of wooden puzzles? Do you know the popular snake cube puzzle? Even if you haven’t, you’ve probably seen it. It’s a simple wooden puzzle made of conjoined blocks, which can be assembled into the shape of a cube. Figuring out the puzzle is devilishly difficult, but it’s a great way to kill time at the office. If you can’t figure out how to solve the snake cube puzzle quickly, it’s fine – you can always claim that the exercise is meant to help you brainstorm new ideas and improve your problem-solving skills. This is one office activity that makes you look smarter even if you’re doing it to kill a few minutes at the end of your shift.

Seek Out New Goals

If you remember high school, you might remember that certain kids would get unruly during the day. Some of the kids acted out not because they didn’t respect the class, but because they were simply not challenged enough. If you find yourself bored at work, you might need to take on existing challenges. If you are stressed out by the lack of forwarding momentum at your job, go to your boss and ask for more responsibilities. Whether you are leading a new team or simply taking charge of the break room, having new goals can re-energize you and provide you with a path forward.

There will always be times when you get bored at work, and there will always be times when you get stressed out. The only way to fight these issues is to provide yourself with alternatives to stewing over your own lack of productivity. Whether you play a brain-building game, seek out more work or just take charge of your own schedule, you have the choice to make your own day better. Don’t give into boredom – use your extra time to make progress in your job.

About The Author:

Caroline Bird is a creative writer and digital marketer. She loves sharing her perspective, tips and how-tos related to home improvement, productivity, business, technology, and SEO through her writing. Connect with Caroline via @bCarolinebird12

Dental Health Guide: Things You Can Do To Protect Your Teeth

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It is recommended that people brush their teeth twice a day; however, flossing, a big part of making sure the teeth and mouth stay healthy, is often overlooked. Flossing is important because it can get in between teeth to clean up tartar build up and remove plaque, something brushing cannot do.

People with braces or Invisalign have a harder time flossing because of the wires, and that is why it is especially important for them to brush their teeth and clean heir braces regularly. A trip to the dentist at least twice a year helps make sure that people are taking care of their teeth so that they don’t develop any health problems from lack of flossing.

Protecting Your Teeth

When we eat, food can get stuck in and in between our teeth, and that is why flossing is recommended. The food that is left behind can develop into plaque, which can cause bad breath and cavities. Plaque left on the teeth for a long time can turn into tartar, which is hard to remove. Bacteria build up can also cause bad breath, also known as halitosis, and it sits in areas where the toothbrush cannot reach, mostly in between teeth.

People who have braces or Invisalign have a harder time cleaning their teeth, but it is crucial that their teeth are brushed and flossed often to prevent cavities and help the teeth straightening process to be as successful as possible.

Taking Care of Your Overall Health

When flossing is ignored, gum disease, tooth decay and other health issues can occur. Plaque leads to tartar, and tartar can cause gingivitis, which is inflammation in the gums. The gums will turn red and swell up, and this can even cause tooth decay or tooth loss if left untreated. If a tooth is damaged or lost from bad oral hygiene, then it will cost money to fix or replace.

So, instead of waiting for teeth to go bad, it is best to floss regularly to prevent gum disease and any other health risks because bad oral hygiene can actually lead to health problems in the body, like heart disease and diabetes. This is because bacteria left in the mouth, from lack of brushing or flossing, can travel to other areas of the body, therefore, causing serious health problems.

The Importance of Flossing

Brushing and using mouthwash are not enough. These methods are highly recommended for clean teeth, but it is hard to reach places that need attention as well. It is that little piece of string that can prevent food from rotting in teeth, which can cause plaque, tartar, bad breath and diseases in the mouth and the body.

Floss is very cheap, so it does not cost much to prevent serious mouth and health problems. The process is not painful and does not take very long, so there is no excuse to ignore flossing. Many people regret not visiting the dentist regularly or taking better care of their teeth after they have developed health problems in their mouth, which is why flossing is necessary for a healthy mouth and body.

Tips to Improve Your Dental Health

Our teeth are an indicator of our overall health. Gum disease that is caused by less than stellar dental hygiene habits can cause everything from weakened teeth to heart disease.

We all know that visiting the dentist is important, but there are many other things you can do to improve your dental health. Follow these simple tips to keep your teeth and gums in top condition.

Choose the Right Toothbrush

When you are purchasing a toothbrush, the most important thing to remember is to get one with soft bristles. Medium or hard toothbrushes can harm gums and wear down the enamel of your teeth. Weakened enamel can cause cavities and sensitivity.

Make Sure to Brush Correctly

When it comes to brushing your teeth, you can have too much of a good thing. Doing so more than three times per day can wear down enamel and cause your gums to bleed. You should also avoid brushing too vigorously.

Keep brushing to two times per day. Once in the morning and once at night for two minutes at a time is really all your teeth need. Make sure to give each individual tooth attention when brushing. Work in small circles focusing on the tops and both sides.

Eat the Right Foods

Maintaining a healthy diet is important for all aspects of health, but certain foods can be especially beneficial to your teeth. Foods like celery and apples can clean between your teeth. Carrots, cauliflower and broccoli scrub the surface of the teeth and help keep them clean between brushing. Try out a Home Remedy Rinsing daily with a mixture of equal parts water and hydrogen peroxide can keep your teeth looking white without the use of harsh whitening products.

See Your Dentist Regularly

Nothing beats attention from a professional. In addition to a great dental hygiene routine, make sure to visit your dentist at least once every six months. Regular dental checkups are important because a professional can detect any major dental issues you may have before they become costly problems. Cleanings also ensure that your teeth stay healthy by having any harden buildup removed.

Featured Photo © Pixabay

About The Author:

Caroline Bird is a creative writer and digital marketer. She loves sharing her perspective, tips and how-tos related to home improvement, productivity, business, technology, and SEO through her writing. Connect with Caroline via @bCarolinebird12

5 ways small businesses can encourage healthier eating at work

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Maintaining a balanced diet and lifestyle can be really difficult, particularly if you’re working full-time or are managing a business. Whilst it is not strictly your responsibility to ensure that your employees eat in a healthy manner, it is in your best interest to encourage healthy eating and diets in the workplace, as this can have many positive effects on your business’ productivity. Indeed, there are many convenient and tasty recipes like HelloFresh, which you can use to ensure your employees actually look forward to meal time at work.

So, what should be your plan of attack when encouraging healthy eating in the workplace?

Increase health knowledge

One of the first things you need to do as a manager is help improve the health knowledge of your staff and workers. Building this knowledge could come in the form of scheduling seminars on quick and easy recipes that are healthy and affordable. Consider hiring a nutritionist to come in during the week and discuss healthy eating habits with your staff and colleagues. You could even call it a “lunch n learn” day. It is really important that you build clear communication with your employees and clarify any questions they may have regarding the program. Your program needs to be framed around a purpose and if your aim is to help your employees work at a more productive level you should let them know exactly that!

Build positive attitudes

Another key component of implementing an effective healthy eating program is to help build positive attitudes towards healthy eating. Encouraging dieting and nutritional consumption is one thing; embracing such eating habits is a whole different ball game. There will definitely be some members of staff who will resist such change, which is understandable. Some people are less inclined to eat healthy, while others may view it as an unnecessary cost, or something that just wastes time and resources.

Either way, you need to help build positivity around healthy eating. One of the best ways of achieving this is to share stories of people whose lives changed for the better after dieting – it could be simply losing weight and getting back in shape, or something more significant, like new job opportunities after the weight was lost.

Incentivise the programs

Put simply, there will always be a select few that will not get involved in the program. However, there may be a larger number of individuals who choose to not get involved because of the viability and perceived benefits of scheme. In this situation, you need to incentivise and reward employees who get involved. How? Well, if your business is working in affiliation with a healthy food outlet, develop a loyalty points scheme, so employees are rewarded for their purchases. This will have the effect of stimulating demand and encouraging workers to participate, even if they were a little hesitant at first! Overall, incentivising your workers is a central part of enhancing employee management and performance.

Having said this, not all businesses have the financial capacity to provide in-house food options. If so, provide your workers with a list of restaurants in the local area that offer balanced meals. Be sure to stock the vending machines with healthier food options and reward workers who choose the healthier alternatives!

Plan the program

Some businesses don’t offer healthy eating programs throughout the entire year. For example, many businesses will often offer such programs after the holiday seasons, since many employees might be deflated from some weight gain over the festive season. The program should include lunch meals that contain several servings of vegetables or fruit – you want to minimise the consumption of products containing high levels of sugar and/or salt. A high sugar diet has been linked to weight gain and increased prevalence of Type II diabetes. Reduce the amount of processed grains and try to select lean meats with less fat and added salts. When choosing your meat options, be sure to stick with fresh meat over processed meats, since processed meat and foods are often full of chemicals that undermine the nutritional value.

Does it actually work?

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For those that may still be a little sceptical, it is important to understand that there is a relationship between healthy eating and job satisfaction. Indeed, adhering to a balanced diet of protein, vegetables, fruit and healthy fats has been linked to improved job performance. A lot of this stems from that fact that eating healthy promotes better body image, staves off illness and reduces the likelihood of fatigue. In fact, this could go a long way in boosting someone’s leadership skills, so if you’re a manager or in a leadership position at your work, be sure to try and eat as healthy as possible throughout the working week.

Likewise, eating healthy at work can also help you improve your overall time management. Being able to schedule your meetings and tasks in an efficient manner goes a long way in building your leadership portfolio. It also helps enhance your reputation within the company – you’ll find your workers have greater respect for you and your objectives for the business!

Making a Difference – The Benefits of Working in Aged Care

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With Australia’s growing elderly population, the need for people working in aged care jobs is more vital than ever. Working in aged care is a way to provide the elderly with not just physical and personal support, but also emotional support for those who are vulnerable in their golden years. There are a wide variety of aged care jobs available, and regardless of what you choose, there are multiple benefits of working in aged care. In this article, we will run through why working in aged care is beneficial to not just the elderly but also yourself.

Read on to find out more!

  1. Multiple Opportunities At Your Disposal

Aged care is one of the fastest growing industries, and there is a shortage of workers to fill up the spots. This creates a huge demand for professionals in the field, providing multiple job opportunities all around the country. Some of the various fields of aged care you can enter into include palliative care, personal care, dementia care, respite and end of life companionship. Having a Certificate IV in aged care will qualify you for dozens of jobs, some of which come with government subsidies.

    2.    Improve Lives For The Better

Individuals looking to work in aged care are empathetic and have a strong desire to improve lives for the better. For many elderly people, the need for assisted living can be quite difficult to accept, sometimes leading to issues with mental health. A high number of these individuals fall into depression, which can often be avoided when the right care is provided.

A job in aged care puts you in a position to provide mental, emotional and physical support for those who truly need it. If you want to make a difference in people’s lives and improve their well-being, working in aged care may be the perfect fit for you.

   3.    Develop Rich and Fulfilling Relationships

As an aged care worker, you will work in close capacity with individuals who may be twice your age – imagine all the amazing stories they may be able to share with you! They may impart their advice, knowledge and wisdom to you; helping you develop a meaningful and reciprocative relationship with them.

Assisting your patients in the decision making process, and getting to know them, their needs and their desires on a deeper level, will assist you in making the right choices for their individual circumstances. Working in aged care truly offers a rounded and fulfilling experience to all involved.

4.    Improve Your Communication Skills

Anyone who has had experience with elderly relatives or grandparents will know that effective communication can sometimes be difficult. Communicating with the elderly requires patience and understanding. Finding ways to converse with your clients will build upon not only your communication skills, but will develop your own patience and tolerance.

   5.    It Is Professionally Rewarding

Aside from being a personally rewarding career, Aged care is both a personally and professionally rewarding career. You can make an average yearly income of $65,000 in Victoria, one of the top three regions for aged care in the entire nation. Aged care is also a career in which there is quite a bit of flexibility offered, ensuring you aren’t spending too much time at work, away from your family, friends and loved ones. Aside from flexibility, there is no age barrier when it comes to aged care, and shift work means you can fit your career into your life without having to sacrifice your social life as well.

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We hope that this article has given you some insight into the number of benefits that come with working in aged care.

The Test of Taste – 7 Tips For Turning Your Restaurant Into the Talk of the Town

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Opening a restaurant in this day and age can be more stressful than many people realise, but that doesn’t mean you should avoid doing it. The traps that many restaurateurs fall into can be avoided through fairly simple means, and avoidance is the best way to aim for success, rather than falling into them and working hard to get out. In this article, we have put together 7 tips for turning your restaurant into the talk of the town, in the hopes that it helps you reach your business goals in a timely fashion.

Menu

The menu you offer up to your customers is the first interaction of any substance that they have with your business. Plenty of times their first actual interaction will be walking past on opening day, or peering through the window when you’re closed. However, those impressions fall by the wayside once they’ve tasted your food. Your food quality is of the utmost importance, so if your decoration has to be a little more sparse to allow the budget for mind-blowing food, so be it. You’ve probably heard your friends say “this place looks a little weird but the food is amazing” more times than you’ve heard “the food here sucks but I keep coming back because it looks cool”.

Theme

Having a theme for your restaurant doesn’t have to be as cheesy as many, many 80’s restaurants made it out to be. When people think “themed restaurant”, their mind usually jumps to a medieval-themed eatery where screaming children run rampant and an air of lawlessness permeates the loose idea that this is a restaurant. This is, obviously, not what you’re going to be aiming for when it comes to your theme. A subtle theme can mean the difference between a well known restaurant and a must-visit destination for travellers, so find what theme works for you and subtly introduce it.

Pricing

Pricing is tricky, because people will assume cheaper food is, well, cheaper food. The more expensive you go, the higher quality your whole restaurant experience has to be, and therefore the more you charge the more you have to spend. Calibrate your costs with what restaurants you want to align yours with in terms of price bracket and you’ll find a more steady stream of customers.

Service

Service is highly important, because you don’t want your wait staff to take plates away the second your customers are finished eating, but you also don’t want them to leave the dishes on the table to languish in the after-dinner conversation. There are plenty of fine places to get hospitality supplies in Melbourne, so there shouldn’t be any reason you can’t provide guests with extra cutlery if they need it. Prompt service is always good, so steer clear of slow chefs and lengthy prep times for anything other than the special dish of the evening/week/month, because a special is always worth waiting for.

Dietary Options

Allowing your guests to choose between an omnivorous, a vegetarian, and a vegan option is standard in the modern day and age, so ensure you have these options, but don’t forget to include gluten free for coeliacs and a fructose free option for the unfortunate souls that can rarely eat anything on any menu for fear of the garlic and onion in every choice. This difference will set you apart from your similarly-priced competition, and leave you victorious.

Social Media

Every restaurant worth a visit has its own social media pages, and acting otherwise only works when that’s the point of your restaurant. If you’re running a place that has a ban on phones, for instance, no social media will align with your branding and be kitsch and cool. However, any other kind of place needs to have an Instagram, and a Facebook at the very least.

Location

Finally, your location will set you apart. Far from the city center but offering exotic and well-made foods will struggle, as will the same setup in the city center due to competition. Find the “golden suburb” that has a median income that works with your pricing and is known to be cool, or at least a little quirky, and you’re well on your way to being an underground hotspot.

These tips will help you secure yourself a spot on the list of every trend setter in your city, so get to planning your menu and training your staff to prepare for the opening night of a lifetime.

5 Ways the Medical Profession can Save Money and be Better at Business

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We are constantly hearing in the media about the woeful state of the NHS and how there is a shortage of doctors, nurses etc. and how the pot is nearly empty. Anyone who works in the medical profession will tell you about the waste that exists within the NHS and they all have their ideas of how money could be saved and be spent where it is most needed. We have considered this carefully and here are our suggestions for 5 ways in which the medical profession can save money.

healthcare doctor

Training

You forget just how many careers exist within the medical profession. Those ‘behind the scenes’ staff who by their very presence keep the profession going. Take porters for example, hospitals would grind to a halt without these trusty stalwarts and they, like all the rest, often have to undergo training. Employing online training rather than sending them off the a classroom for hours on end will not only save money but cause a lot less hassle logistically. To keep the necessary quota in place and paying others overtime to ensure this would save an awful lot of money over the course of a year.

Food

Everyone complains about hospital food and quite frankly who can blame them. Rather than buy in fresh food and cook it many hospitals are now buying in readymade meals which the nursing staff heat up in microwaves on the ward. This is taking the nurses away from their essential duties and what use is a processed meal completely lacking in any kind of vitamins and nutrition to patients recovering from illnesses or surgery?

Too many chiefs

This isn’t a problem restricted to the NHS obviously, but the term too many chiefs and not enough Indians is certainly relevant when referring to the modern medical profession. With modern technology there is no need for so many supervisors and managers. In days gone by there was a matron, the sisters and the nurses, the matron have now been replaced by several managers who sit in offices all day juggling numbers. How can this be cost effective or be in the best interests of the patients? The simple fact is that there are far too many people in the NHS sitting behind desks instead of being involved in actual healthcare. They command bigger wages than those on the front line and invariably get a golden handshake on retiring, unlike those life savers beneath them who have to manage on the pension they have paid into during the time they have spent working for the NHS.

Supplies

There are very few companies who supply medical essential such as gloves and other disposable items so they charge through the nose for it. Why are there over 77 types of different disposable gloves? Surely you only need a few; latex and non-latex etc. All those managers sitting trying to juggle figures would be best off shopping around to save money on these supplies. Every business knows that sticking with the same supplier rather than shopping around costs more and as today’s medical profession is very much a business they should be taking a leaf out of other’s books and doing the same.

Drugs

Apart from the shocking stat that £150m worth of drugs are wasted every year this again boils down to suppliers. As with everything else there are suppliers the NHS use which cost the earth but plenty more who could supply them cheaper if they shopped around. A paracetamol is a paracetamol at the end of the day, so why pay £2 a pack when a supermarket can sell them for less than £1 and still make a profit?

So, as is clear to see there are numerous ways that the medical industry can cut down and saveon costs.

First Aid in the Office – What Every Start up needs to know

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first aid and safety and wellbeing supplies

In most start-up offices, it’s wonderfully rare that anyone should need to use the first aid kit, and for the most part it’s not something that staff needs to think about on a regular basis.

Office emergencies are relatively rare and as such it can be very tempting to forget about making a priority of office safety and taking the appropriate health and safety measures. Even though people in start-ups tend to be young and carefree – first aid is a necessity.

As with anything in life, however, disaster always seems to strike when we’re least prepared, and that’s why the law states that it’s absolutely essential to keep your kit well stocked and ready, as well as ensuring that you and all other employees are well versed in the first aid workplace policies in your area.

We’ve put together a few things you need to know about first aid in the office in order to help you gather all the supplies you need to deal quickly and efficiently with an emergency situation:

Appoint a Health and Safety Officer

If you haven’t done this already, it’s vital that you do; appointing someone in this capacity to ensure that the kit is properly stocked at all times and that everyone is apprised of the appropriate policies and procedures will go a long way toward not only obeying the law but avoiding disaster should a real emergency occur.

Assess the Situation

Not every office has the same needs as far as their first aid kit, particularly as not every office has the same level of staffing, risk and/or activity; perform a comprehensive risk assessment to ascertain the supplies you should keep on hand in order to address an emergency; be intelligent and remember it’s better to be slightly over prepared then left floundering in a bad situation.

Leave Out Potential Allergens

Depending on how many office staff you have, there are a wide variety of potential allergens in the average kit, from ointment and painkillers to other over-the-counter meds; if someone in the office requires any of these items for health reasons, they should be able to supply them on their own, while keeping them away from others who may be allergic.

Post Your Medical Emergency Plan

Writing and posting your formal emergency plan is a must in any office; information should be posted in a position where it is readily available when required and all employees should be apprised of both its location and contents.

The plan should include the address and phone number of the office, as well as the location of the first aid kits and any staff members who are specially trained to administer assistance; also include any emergency numbers as well as directions to and contact information for the medical services facilities closest to your location.

Keeping employees informed is a vital part of dealing with an emergency quickly and efficiently.

Buy Prepackaged

There are a variety of companies who sell prepackaged first aid kits and purchasing one of these handy supplies has a few advantages; first of all, as experts in emergency supplies, they’ll know firsthand the items a company such as yours may require; these kits are also quite conspicuously marked and recognizable to employees, and the items inside are generally of sound quality.

So regardless of how unlikely an office emergency seems at your place of work, always be well stocked and prepared for a first aid emergency; keeping all staff well informed and ready will go a long way toward dealing with a crisis in the most safe and effective way.