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Isolation Innovation – 5 Tips for Small Business Owners Working from Home

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Across the world, business owners and employees are being urged to work from home. For some, it’s an effortless process, and one they may have already been doing to some degree. For others, it’s foreign territory that can take a while to navigate and explore. Here are a few different things that can help make that adjustment period a bit more comfortable:

Keep Your Professional Support Contacts

Working from home may mean you’re working in a different setting, but it doesn’t mean you aren’t going to face the same challenges as you would in your office. Don’t cut contact with those other businesses that keep yours going. Stay in touch with your small business IT support guru and remember to keep your accountant informed with business operations.

Everyone you needed to run your business at the office will still be required while you work from home.

Don’t Change Your Routine

Working from an office has always promoted a sense of routine. You rise at the same time every day, get in the car or jump on public transport, then spend the working week doing the same things. While your morning commute is now from the bedroom to the dining room, that doesn’t mean your work routine must change.

Wake up at the same time, have a shower, get dressed in tidy attire, and start the working day at the same time. The sameness of your routine can ensure you achieve the same level of work as you would if you were in your office.

Educate Your Family

Your spouses and kids know that when you’re at the office, you’re not available to make them lunch, help with chores, and answer the door when there’s a knock. After all, how can you do those things when you’re not home?

Once you’re working from home, though, it can be easy to forget that you’re in work mode. When the working week kicks off, offer a gentle reminder that interruptions can be disruptive to how much work you achieve. Of course, spend time with your family, but set aside a few hours of your day just for you and your regular work routine.

Be Comfortable

Most people have their work station set up ergonomically at their place of business. Once you get home, though, you’re more likely to learn over a laptop in bed or stare down your phone with your neck at a crooked angle. Working at home should mean the same ergonomic principles apply.

Use a comfortable chair and desk, keep your monitor an arm’s length away, and adjust your chair height, so your hips and knees are level with each other. The more comfortable you are, the more you can achieve.

Use Apps

Working from home can mean you go without some of the creature comforts of the office. You may not have the same conferencing software, dedicated room for meetings, or microphones and camera equipment. Things are different, but there are some apps online that can make your working-from-home experience better.

Try apps like Skype, Slack, Trello, and Calmly. Whether you need fewer distractions or a working platform for you and your team, you’ll find plenty of options online.

Working from home may not be something you are familiar with, but that doesn’t mean it has to impact how much work you get done. Stick with your routine, talk to your family, and keep your same professional contacts so that your business operates like a well-oiled machine. You’d be surprised at how convenient and effortless working from home can be.

6 Tips for Selecting Folding Arm Awnings for Your Store

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As a store owner, you need to care for your customers all the time. This doesn’t mean offering quality products only but also protecting them from harsh environmental conditions such as sun and rain. Folding arm outdoor awnings are a great way to protect your customers by bringing temperatures down and covering them from rain.

Apart from regulating the temperatures, an awning will also be a great way to market your brand. All you need is to get the one that is customized according to your brand. There are different types of folding arm awnings in Melbourne, and when choosing one for your store, you need to be careful. This article will give you six tips to select folding arm awnings for your store.

1. Comply with the law

The first step before choosing an outdoor canopy is to check the council requirements in your locality. Different states will have different rules, thus checking with authorities in your area is essential. Make sure the design you choose and the message you display on your awning is not against the law. If there is any fee to be paid, ensure you pay before installing the awning.

2. Consider size

The point here is to choose an awning that is proportional to your storefront. This will not only give your shop an excellent look but also save you on the cost. There is no need of getting an oversize awning that will cost you extra dollars and add no value. Size doesn’t matter when it comes to branding.

3. Store design

Awnings have different designs and colours, giving you a wide range to choose from. When you need to get one for your store, picking the one that will match with your store’s design and the colour is very important. By considering design and colour, the two will easily blend and avoid the hustle of repainting your shop. If your store has a protruding roof, don’t forget to consider it.

4. Consider your brand or logo

Store design and colour only are not enough to determine the colour you will choose for your awning. The brand you are trying to display is also a key factor to check on when selecting your awning. The canopy should have the same colour as your brand or logo, and if possible, you can have your brand logo printed on the awning. There are ready-made awnings and custom ones, making it possible for you to get anything you want. Imagine having a green canopy while your brand colour is yellow. It makes no sense!

5. Automatic or manual

Folding arm awnings come in two main types, that is manual and automatic ones. Automated awnings are operated using a remote, and they are easier to retract or wind out. They also have motion sensors which they use to sense excess wind and retract automatically. On the other hand, manual awnings are operated using the crank, and they are more challenging when it comes to withdrawing or winding out. Also, they require more attention as they don’t have motion sensors to sense strong winds.

6. Consider quality

Quality is always essential no matter what you are buying. Melbourne market is flooded with low-quality awnings that are sold at a lower price than the usual one. When shopping doesn’t go for cheaper awnings as they may break down after a few months after installation, costing you more than you would spend if you got good quality. It’s also a good idea to go for customized awnings although they may cost you more.

Summary

There are different types of outdoor awnings in the market, and when choosing one, you should be extra careful. Get your awnings from a reputable seller to get good quality that will last.

Financial Headaches Facing Small Business Owners

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Fierce and uneven competition in the market is often the downfall of small business operations. Unlike large enterprises where cashflow is continuously trickling in enabling the repayment of business expenses, SMEs will frequently struggle to pay off debts if they handle their finances in the same manner. For the small enterprise, generating income and having enough cash at hand to pay for bills and expenses is one of the most important and challenging tasks. So finding the right solution to keep cash levels flowing and the business moving is paramount to ensuring successful business growth.

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Keep the cash flowing

Cash flow is perhaps the heaviest issue for the small businessman. A profitable next quarter doesn’t mean anything if your workers won’t get their pay packets this quarter. Business owners must acquire an acute sense of timing and budgeting. Revenues must sustain the outflow of cash and replenish for the succeeding quarters in time before other expenses are due. With accurate calculation, the small business owner must be able to keep credit in check while predicting the times ahead, especially if there is significant seasonal variation in profits. If you do find yourself in some cash flow troubles due to bad debtors, you may wish to seek the aid of a debtor finance specialist to give you some help with unpaid invoices and get quick cash injection.

Expect the unexpected

The first few months in a business’s life can drive the small entrepreneur’s finances close to negative, with slim to none profits in the first few years. Businesses can generally handle the slow start as long as they aren’t hit with any sudden financial burdens. A large proportion of your profits may already be going towards office rent and maintenance but make sure you also have the correct insurance policies as the last thing you want to pay for is a large payout if a customer slips in your storefront.

Other like expenses such as government special charges and taxes on businesses and products even the price increase of supplies can also affect the small businessman’s finances. Keep a part of your income for these unexpected expenses. Better yet, anticipate these and keep into account when they are exactly due and how much they all amount to. Being fully aware of all potential costs will give you a much clearer picture of where the cash goes.

Prepare alternative plans when a disastrous event occurs.

In a huge business, the loss of an executive might not be as devastating as it is to a small company; they might just promote a person among subordinates that were groomed to follow and continue running the business. This is not so in a small business; if a small enterprise loses a key person, especially if he or she holds a number of responsibilities, the loss will affect the entire business—more so if the key person is the entrepreneur himself/herself. The business may temporarily stop for weeks, months or extended periods of time.

Natural disasters are also source of business interruption. If that happens, keep your cash on hand ready for any damages that need to be repaired. Also keep business policies in check to know when you can resume business the earliest time possible.

This guest post is brought to you by Scottish Pacific. For more information on business cash flow solutions and invoice discounting visit Scottish Pacific.