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Investing In Your Future: Asking For A Promotion

If you want to move forward with career plans, there are few things as important as having the nerve to ask for a promotion. How you decide to take this important step is critical. Whether you hire an executive business coach to help you move ahead in your career or you do your own research, taking control of your life and career takes courage.

 

Do Your Research and Get Prepared

Being prepared for an important conversation is always recommended. The information you need is already available. Most professionals recommend asking some specific questions about how other people got ahead. This is a smart way to get ready to ask for a promotion.

Once you have completed your research, it is time to put a plan of action together. Writing down your accomplishments and the reasons why you deserve a promotion into management represents a smart way to approach this task. Be sure to use quantifiable metrics to support your claims whenever you can. Stay away from vague and subjective language since that can weaken your case.

Since management is about problem solving, coming up with a list of problems you have solved is a logical way to remind yourself of past achievements. Compiling a one to two page fact sheet is recommended.

Get some feedback from trusted colleagues about whether they think you are ready for the position. Finding coworkers you trust to discuss this with will help you get prepared for this “all important” conversation.

Forbes suggests taking on added responsibilities to pave the way for asking for a promotion. That will help your case.

 

Carefully Decide on the Timing of Your Promotion Request

The adage that “timing is everything” are words that certainly apply to any discussion where one party is trying to win over the other party. Inc. recommends not jumping the gun when you ask for a promotion. It is important that you have had time to prove yourself in the position you’re in before asking for a promotion.

The worst case scenario would be to seek a promotion before you could boast about achievements in your current position. Not only would you lose credibility, you might harm your chances for future opportunities. Proceed with caution and be sure you can explain why you are worthy of a promotion.

There are some obvious times when it is ill advised to approach the subject of a promotion. For example, if the company is laying off people due to economic hardships, that would indicate that asking for a promotion and a raise would not make sense.

With that said, when a job becomes available due to a resignation or promotion, you should take it. You never know when another opening will come open.

 

Make Your Case

When you’re ready, approach your superior and ask them for a meeting. Discuss your career goals and make sure they understand why you are ready to move into another role. Explain the extra duties that you have taken on and talk about your achievements. Any time you can talk about the duties you are performing that are already above your pay grade, you are proving that you are worthy and ready for the next step.

Be sure to discuss all of your “wins” using numbers when you can. By reviewing this information right before the meeting, the facts will be on the tip of your tongue, ready to be retrieved. Focus some of your conversation on how you have handled personnel challenges since management routinely deals with delicate human resource issues.

 

Conclusion

Moving up the corporate ladder is about more than your technical skills. It is your communication skills that will pave the way into management. By preparing for the meeting and practicing the key points you want to make, you plan for success.

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How To Bring Millennial Talent To Your Workplace

Older individuals make up most of the current workforce. It can be difficult to understand and relate to a younger generation. To help, I will share with you my how-to guide so you feel prepared to add millennials to your work team.

Don’t Hesitate

Millennials are living in a fast-paced world, and their job is no different. Studies show that millennials are getting more and more job offers, so they have earned the right to be picky about the job they want. In other words, if you are considering hiring a well-qualified millennial, don’t wait to make the offer. They are likely to be receiving other offers!

Go Green

The average millennial cares more about the environment than the average member of previous generations. If you show that you are doing your part to conserve the beautiful Earth, then it is more likely that Millennials will consider your company. You need to keep up-to-date on Green energy and do your best to include environmentally beneficial practices in your business. Having a smaller carbon footprint feels good, and it helps to create a great culture.

 

Utilize their Recruiting Talent

Theories on how to find employees can vary, but millennials are great at recruiting each other. They like to work with their friends. Some companies are able to find great talent simply by telling their current employees that they need a new hire. The average millennial is very connected with former schoolmates, colleagues, and friends. Through all of these connections, you might find your next great employee.

Additionally, once you have a few millennials in the workplace, other millennials will feel more comfortable working with your company because they will not be alone!

 

Understand Them

Millennials don’t typically act the same in the workplace as Gen X’ers or Baby Boomers. They were raised in a different way, and you need to understand their differences. They aren’t aliens though. Treat them like humans and try to understand what they bring to the table.

Millennials, like any other generation, have expectations of their employer. The first thing a lot of millennials look for is the opportunity to keep learning. A lot of millennials are fresh out of school and have the desire and drive to keep learning. So, if you are looking to hire millennials, make sure that you have plenty of options for them to expand their knowledge! This will also help your company in the long run. They will be able to bring their new-found knowledge back and share it with the other employees.

Since many are new graduates, a lot of them have student loans hovering over their heads. If you offer loan repayment programs, this can be a very attractive feature of your company that sets you apart from the rest. Keep this in mind if you are specifically looking to hire individuals from the millennial age group.

While you do not have to incorporate all of the ideas into your personal guide for hiring millennials, incorporating one or more is a great way to get millennials interested in your company! You may also find that your other employees like these structural changes and you will have an excited group of people on your hands that are ready to work and be productive!

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Feel Great and Save the World with a Vegan Diet

A vegan diet is more than a throwback hippie trend; it’s lifestyle choice that can save both your health and the planet. If you are one of the many Americans questioning their relationship with the environment and the eating habits that are making us one of the least healthy developed populations on Earth, a vegan diet plan is a one-stop solution to both problems.

 

What is a Vegan Diet?

Vegetarians don’t eat meat, fish, or poultry, but most are open to consuming and using animal products such as eggs, milk, wool, beeswax, leather and fur. Vegans, however, live an entirely plant-based lifestyle without the use of any animal products. If this sounds tough, it can be, but for most vegans, it’s a matter of both health and social conscience. The good news is that choosing to live a life free of animal products is getting much easier.

 

What Makes a Vegan Diet Healthy?

In a nutshell, a naturally low-calorie vegan diet emphasizes the foods most recommended by health professionals, while eliminating those that are known to cause disease. In a 2016 position statement, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics heralded the benefits of a vegan diet for all life stages saying that vegans are at reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, obesity and certain types of cancer due to their low intake of animal fats and high intake of plant-based foods that are rich in fiber and disease-fighting phytochemicals.

 

By consuming only plant-based foods, vegans also avoid the hormone and antibiotic residue found in most animal products. Fear that the human intake of antibiotics fed to meat animals is contributing to the epidemic of drug-resistant bacteria, Canada and many countries in the European Union have banned their use in feedlots. In the United States, however, it remains legal.

 

Environmental Benefits

A diet that includes meat has profound environmental consequences. Consider these eye-opening facts.

 

– It takes 16 pounds of grain to produce one pound of beef.

– It takes nearly 100 times more fresh water to produce a single pound of meat than to grow a pound of wheat.

– More than 260 million acres of oxygen-producing forests in the United States have been cleared to grow grain to feed farm animals.

– Producing one calorie of animal protein uses more than 1o times the fossil fuel as growing one calorie of plant protein.

 

Vegans are environmental superheroes. A plant based diet keeps over a ton of greenhouse gasses out of the atmosphere every year and for every pound of meat not eaten, enough fresh water for six months of showers is saved.

 

Tips for Easy Vegan Eating

If the benefits of a vegan lifestyle are attractive, but life without animal products sounds like a lot of work, the good news is that the market is responding. As veganism goes mainstream, cost-effective plant-based food, clothing and cosmetics are everywhere.

 

Meatless Monday, an international effort to promote the benefits of a vegetable-rich diet, has taken off in thousands of restaurants worldwide and for busy home cooks, farm food cooperatives and vegan food delivery services are growing exponentially.

 

For easy vegan meals that will please the whole family, try these timesaving tips:

– Cut and bag vegetables once weekly to have ingredients ready for salads, soups, stir-fries and casseroles.

– Fruit and vegetable smoothies are kid-friendly, portable and convenient.

– Take advantage of fresh fruit platters and prepared produce at the supermarket.

– Try a raw day – no cooking required!

 

Start now and by the end of the day, the world will already be a better place. Few changes in life are as deeply impactful as adopting a vegan diet. It takes practice, but after feeling and seeing the benefits, you will wonder what took you so long.

 

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Must Haves for Delicious Protein Shakes

Everyone who follows a regular fitness routine will tell you that there’s more to maintaining and building muscle than the workout itself. Besides working hard in the gym you’ve got to work hard in the kitchen! If you want to gain strength, muscle size, and lose fat, getting enough protein is key. And one of the easiest and quickest ways to get your protein in is by making a shake or smoothie. However, having the same shake multiple times a day can quickly get boring. Don’t sweat it though, we’ve got you covered with must-have ingredients, powders, and recipes so you can mix it up and enjoy your shakes!

 

Protein Powders

There are many different sources of protein powders. We’re going to go over the best sources so you can choose the one that is right for you.

  • Casein protein- Casein is a family of proteins that make up 80% of the total protein content in cow’s milk. When in the stomach it forms a gel-like texture that provides a gradual release of protein into the body.
  • Plant protein- If you are a vegetarian or vegan, you will surely want to opt for a protein powder that is free of animal byproducts. Many plants are full of protein and are easily digested by the body. Flavors are added in like other forms of protein so you won’t feel like you’re drinking a salad.
  • Whey Protein- Whey isolate is one of the most common protein powders due to its ability to build muscle and aid in fat-loss. It contains many essential amino acids which are great for recovery.

 

No matter the source, make sure you are looking for the cleanest protein powder you can find. Be careful of selecting powders with an incredibly long list of ingredients as these are usually packed with added sugar and artificial ingredients.

 

Extra-Ingredients

While there’s nothing wrong with simply adding your powder into some milk or water, it doesn’t always make for the tastiest treat and can be difficult to maintain long term. Here are some ingredients you can throw into a blender to not only give your shakes a boost of flavor but also an extra boost of nutrition!

  • Peanut butter- adds creamy texture, extra protein, and rich flavor
  • Frozen banana- adds potassium to aid recovery and will make your shake taste like ice cream!
  • Chia seeds- taken by ancient warriors before long treks or battles, these seeds are great for increasing metabolism and giving you a steady energy boost throughout the day
  • Avocado- it may sound strange but you won’t taste much of an avocado in a shake and will get a dose of healthy fats and a smooth rich texture from throwing one in your shake
  • Skimmed milk- if fat-loss is a goal, opt for skimmed milk instead of regular milk

Shake Recipes

Breakfast Shake

  • Greek yogurt
  • ½ Cup of Pineapple
  • ½ Cup of Blueberries
  • Chosen protein powder
  • Handful of cashews
  • Cinnamon
  • Water added to taste

Pre-workout Shake

  • Banana
  • Handful of porridge oats
  • Chosen vanil
  • 1-2 tablespoons of flax seeds
  • Coconut water added to taste

Recovery Shake

  • ½ of 1 carrot
  • ½ of an orange
  • ¼ of a cantaloupe
  • Protein powder
  • Cashew nut milk
  • A little water and ice added to taste

 

Try any one of these recipes and feel free to add in some of our ingredients listed above to take them to the next level! It’s important that you get the extra protein you need to sustain your workouts and build muscle, so why not enjoy them?!

 

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The Rise of Subscriptions and The Fall of Advertising

Individual startups have brought about stiff competition like never before. Established companies are struggling to compete with them. For instance, Airbnb has disrupted the hotel industry. E-commerce has made this disruption possible. People prefer to shop from digital storefronts. The trend is changing slowly and settled companies that have been around for years may be taken down. Businesses are shifting their models from adverting to subscription. They have become sensitive to consumer’s demands. Companies that still use advertising will have to change their strategy of doing business.

 

1. Subscriptions are becoming popular

The media industry is shocked at the growth that is taking place in media businesses supported by subscription models. Newspaper companies such as The New York Times had been overtaken by startups that were supported by subscription models. However, these established media companies have caught up with the rest after taking up the subscription models.

 

A popular trend in e-commerce has seen consumers start by buying products in one category and eventually end up buying most of the things online. This trend has affected customers who begin by subscribing to a single media channel then finally sign up to other channels. You will end up getting everything you need from these platforms.

 

People are warming up to the subscription model. Media players have used visualization tools to come up with personalized application experiences.

 

2. Advertising has become frustrating

Interruptions caused by advertising has become frustrating. It makes it hard to concentrate on one thing and results in wastage of time. This fact has contributed to the growth of subscriptions. In the past, the interruptions were few and so were the digital media channels. You had no options to pick from, so you couldn’t avoid the advertisements. The growth of the digital media has given consumers the freedom to choose the channel they want to view. Keeping up with these channels at once is difficult, so any interruptions from advertisements become unbearable. Consumers end up subscribing to get rid of the ads as they affect their concentration span.

 

Not only will you make little money using advertising-supported business models, but you’ll also struggle to keep up with the constant changes that take place in this industry. The cost of free sites is increasing as fraud has caused publishers to pay for third-party verification systems. You will also need to spend on a sales team to keep your clients happy. At some point, it will become too much, and you’ll need to find a better way of setting up your business.

 

3. Subscription improves the product

Your products improve when you focus your attention towards keeping you paying customers excited. The people who make mobile games have discovered this secret. They shifted from showing the advertisement banners at the bottom of the mobile’s screen to requesting users to pay to get better experiences.

 

Netflix is an example of a company that has invested heavily in its programming software. This software makes personal recommendations of television shows and movies that their users are yet to see. These firms depend on information from their relationship with clients to know their preference. Companies will come up with quality content with the intention to attract and maintain their subscribers.

 

4. Predictable, recurring income entices investors

Investors are frustrated from putting in money on advertising models that have minimal returns. This frustration has caused companies to shift to subscription models which have predictable, recurring income. Companies will choose to get rid of the ad model and direct their consumers to the subscription page. Investors will seek to find out the revenue generated per user before deciding to invest in companies. This method will enable them to make data-driven decisions. Money that would have been used to create ads will be used to improve the products.

 

Conclusion

This trend won’t affect companies immediately. However, from the points above you can tell that there will come a time when firms won’t be able to reach their target audience using the traditional interruptive advertising. A smart business leader will prepare for a future where subscriptions are the way to riches.

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Reducing Risk In Stock Trading

Bringing The Option Beast Out

Becoming an options animal starts with a basic understanding of what’s at stake. Professional traders all agree that novice investors often fail due to their misunderstand of their trading ranges. There’s a sensitive dynamic between the money you hold in your account and the margins you believe you can make.

What you can make shouldn’t change how you perceive the potential loss during each trade. That loss must be managed, and this is why investors look toward options trading as a way to lower their risk. Some have even found ways to eliminate loss by having a strong understanding of how options work.

Determining Overall Risk

Risk is a factor to be considered during all trades. The common advice by professional investors is to set aside no more than 1 to 2.5 percent of your entire trading account per trade. Where many amateurs get confused is how. Let’s take a quick look at these factors to better gauge how risk can be managed per trade.

– Sizing Positions:

Options give us the ability to expand our trading positions in either direction.

This is possible through unit sizes. A unit is consider the amount of assets obtained per dollar, euro or yen spent in obtaining an equity. This is the beginning of how leverage works in the financial markets. The ability to dictate how many units you purchase is your first step in minimizing risk and by adjusting your position to the amount you’ve also set as a risk factor be it 1 or 3 percent per trade.

– Measuring Emotions Against Reason:

Consistency is key if you’re going to use a margin account. You might be swayed to change your strategy for example. Doing so invites higher levels of risk than you’ve planned to manage while trading. Managing this potential is all about managing your emotional perspective. This perspective is also why risk has to be tamed.

Losing is manageable while trading only if the risk isn’t perceived more than it really is. This risk factor is what can force traders to change their minds or to find a different course though the prior direction they’ve set was accurate. Managing these emotions isn’t about how much control you have.

It’s about how well you’ve organized your trading, so that you’re never caught in the position of risking more than you decided to.

– The Final Stop Loss Measure:

Stop losses make options trading very strategic when compared to stocks. A stop loss is a preferred price, pip or percentage level that you set aside to manage risk. This process works by first gauging how much you can afford to lose. You then want to calculate the potential lost you can make in your trade.

You can dictate your stop loss based on the invalidation point. This marker is the price that, which if reached, would suggest that your initial assumption was wrong. It could save you a world of financial troubles when set.

A Word On Leverage And Caution

Leverage is what makes options trading inexpensive when compared to common stocks. Leverage usually works in what’s called a margin account and based on a certain ratio as provided by your broker.

This ratio is often written as 50:1, 100:1 or 400:1.

The numbers of a 100:1 ratio means that for every dollar you hold in your account, you can trade with up to 100 dollars. This ratio can make a 1,000 dollar, euro or yen account worth up to 100,000 dollars, euros or yen when trading.

– Marginal Trading And Lot Sizes

These leverage rates are how you manage your units, which are also known as lot sizes. You don’t, for example, have to use your entire 100 to 1 ratio just because you have it. You can instead reduce risk by trading with only 2 to 1 of it.
These are a few steps to take as you trade options when reducing risk and protecting your money. Consider each as you invest, and don’t let your emotions take you off track. These tips are proven strategies that many professionals use.

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Things to Consider Before Turning Your Great Idea Into a Business

You have great idea you think you can turn into a viable business. That’s awesome! Now you need to get to work in order to make your dream a reality. Turning a great idea into a profitable business requires time, effort, and a willingness to do things the right way.

 

Below are three things you will need to consider in pursuit of your new business venture. Each one is considered a fundamental of business success. As you connect with others capable of helping you succeed, they may suggest a few other things for your consideration. Heed their valuable advice.

 

1. Realistic Market Demand

You may think your great idea is original, and perhaps it is, but don’t just assume. Take some time to do a bit of market research. See if there are other companies out there offering the same product or service you intend to offer. If you’re facing a lot of competition, you might find that turning your great idea into a viable business is more difficult than you originally anticipated.

 

Entrepreneur Magazine recommends a combination of first-person, secondary, and web research. First-person research involves speaking with people over the phone, face-to-face, and online. Make a point of asking the sorts of questions that will allow you to get a feel for what they think about your idea.

 

Secondary research involves looking at already published data from other entrepreneurs. This sort of research involves news articles, research papers, case studies, and the like. It goes hand-in-hand with web research, which consists of scouring the internet for as much information as you can find about your idea.

 

2. Amount and Sources of Funding

The vast majority of small businesses – roughly 80% – survive their first year of operation, according to the Motley Fool. Only half of them make it past five years. Among those that fail, the number one reason is a lack of adequate capital. Simply put, small business owners fail to secure enough funding to get them through the lean years.

 

A general rule for calculating funding is to start by estimating initial startup costs to cover equipment, office supplies, labor, and so forth. This should be followed by estimating the monthly costs of keeping the business going. You’ll need to think about everything from office rental rates to business insurance quotes.

 

Finally, put together a revenue forecast based on a modest expectation of your sales. Run the numbers on all three estimates to determine how much funding you’ll need for one year. Then secure enough funding to make it through at least two years.

 

3. A Well-Developed Business Plan

A business plan is a document that guides you through the early stages of getting started in your new venture. Bankers and investors often require business plans before they will even think about funding a new start up. However, a good plan goes well beyond the confines of funding. It forces you to think through the details of how you plan to establish, grow, and maintain your business.

 

The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers a comprehensive guide for writing business plans. They explain the differences between traditional business plans and lean startup plans, as well as offering examples of both. You would do well to visit the SBA website to take advantage of all the free information they provide.

 

Your great idea deserves a shot at becoming a viable business. But don’t expect overnight success. Taking an idea from concept stage to full operation requires a deliberate, step-by-step process that maximizes opportunities and mitigates risks. Seriously consider the three things explained in this post, then go out and get to work. The success of your business is in your hands.

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Social Media Addiction Shares Similarities to Drug Addiction

The impact of social media forever changed the way people interact with one another. A simple free social media profile makes it possible to send messages to large audiences all over the world. Joining popular social media group further allows collectives of people to interact. Some “average persons” even became celebrities due to their activities on social media.

 

Accessing social media isn’t difficult. Just tapping on a smartphone leads to opening several social media pages. Active members of social media communities become habitual in their daily social networking. Unfortunately, social media habits can turn into outright addictions. The notion of addiction isn’t a provocative overstatement. Social media addiction shares similarities with the throngs of drug addiction.

 

Time Consumption and a Lack of Self-Control

Obsessions with social media lead to investing incredible amounts of time interacting on social media each day. The hours continue to expand. Other daily duties become ignored. Soon, social media time consumption becomes the primary thing people do during the day and evening. Taking a break from social media for a mere two days becomes an impossible — and painful — thought. The social media user now lacks the self-control to step away. Doing so would bring forth pain and, possibly, a loss of identity. If this description doesn’t fit addictive behavior, what else does?

 

Now, a tremendous number of people spend a lot of time on social media for important reasons. They stay in touch with family. The news feeds on top social networking sites keep them informed. Perhaps even overdoing it a bit on social media isn’t entirely wrong. When someone becomes so compulsive with social media activities that the activities interfere in other areas of life, however, a problem exists. When someone loses a job due to blatant social media obsessions at work, that’s a visible sign of a severe problem. Worse yet, imagine someone who wants to curtail social media use and cannot. Consider that another sign of a problem.

 

The Negative Consequences of Social Media Use

Two traits commonly describe dire addictive behavior. A person wants to stop, but cannot. Use continues even in the face of drastic consequences. The previous example of someone being fired for on-the-job social media abuse reflects these traits play out in the real world.

 

Quitting social media behavior isn’t an option to those suffering from psychological addictions. They may attempt to cut back on social media time, but “cravings” return them to their computer and platform profiles. The pain of curtailing social media use becomes worse than the other potential consequences. Lost jobs and ruined relationships matter not. Again, the similarities between social media addiction and drug addiction become apparent.

 

Tougher for Millennials

All age demographics embrace social media use. Millennials seem to use social media the most. Millennials grew up in a culture consumed by social media. They don’t necessarily understand what life without social media involves. Perhaps adults should take steps to help lead young persons down different paths. Enrollment in college gap year programs could very well show a young person there’s life outside the virtual realm. Enrollment in sports and other hobbies may be beneficial as well.

 

Dealing with the Addiction

Legitimate social media addiction treatment programs do exist. Undergoing therapy and rehabilitation for social media — or any addiction — could help alleviate the negative consequences. Professional help does exist. Seeking out such help might be worthwhile when life suffers due to social media behavior patterns.

 

As with other addictions, the treatment path often starts once someone recognizes he/she has a problem. If the sufferer refuses to acknowledge the possibility of an addiction, an intervention may be necessary. Friends and family might find it odd to intervene over someone’s social media behavior. Upon viewing social media addiction through the same lens as drug addiction, an intervention won’t seem like something odd.

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Technological Tips that Make Management a Breeze

Office management involves the ability to handle various tasks and responsibilities of that capacity. A good Office Manager is the one who ensures that all he deals with all the duties of the office responsibly. The core duty of an Office manager is to control and improve the logistics within the office to ensure support for all employees of the enterprise. An Office Manager also controls checkbook IRA for every employee. As an Office Manager, you take up various tasks such as being the office shopper, overseer, financial advisor and event scheduler.

 

An office manager cannot manage all the roles that are involved in office management unless he has employed sophisticated office management software and tools. This factor makes office management enjoyable and easy to handle.

 

The following are some of the most useful office management tools that can help you to improve your management skills in an office.

 

The Scrum Board

This tool is popularly known for software businesses. It is a management strategy that allows enterprises to adapt to changes quickly and also reduce unhealthy lagging. Jeff Sutherland established this style in 1993, and it has been used by various organizations such as government agencies and car companies to achieve their goals. The tool enables companies to attain their planned programs within the set timelines. Scrum involves the following steps.

  • Hurries that are aimed at reaching the project’s milestone. This process takes a maximum of two weeks.
  • Monitoring of all the elements of the projects by use of daily stand-ups.
  • A scrum board. This function is meant to trace the progress of every department regarding completion of the project.
  • Continuous advancement of the project objectives to ensure that the customer’s needs and desires are met.

 

Customer Relationship Management Insightly

A business will have to serve customers regardless of it being a B2C or B2B. It may sound impossible to keep track of all the business customers, but Insightly gives you the ability to manage all of them efficiently. The tool enables you to organize all of your clients and also allows you to manage projects. Additionally, Insightly can detect every social media account that is associated with your customers’ email addresses. The application brings all your clients’ information in one place and the long run, you get some easy tasks in the office.

 

Hipmunk for Travel

Everyone finds it easy to organize for their traveling programs. It becomes complex when as an Office Manager, the company requires you to plan for a travel program of a section of employees. It is a different, arduous duty. Fortunately, Hipmunk makes everything easy for you in this case. The tool advertises thousands of hotels and flight while comparing them from various sources. The App allows to compare the flight and also directs you to the location of the hotel that you booked. The style also allows you to purchase a package. This puts your trip into a one-easy transaction.

 

Amazon Business

Ordering products needed for office management is probably one of the hardest and tiresome exercises in office management. Some of the products that are always used in an office include notepads, printer inks, and company jumpsuits. Amazon Business is the best helper for you when it comes to ordering office products. Amazon offers you free two-day shipping and allows you to open numerous accounts that can be used by other employees to purchase goods.

 

HootSuite for Social Media Management

You may not be tasked with the responsibility of managing your company’s social media as an Office Manager, but it is imperative to keep an eye on the things that are posted on the accounts. In such an instance, HootSuite can become all that you need. The App enables you to schedule various posts of more than 35 networks. It can also allow you to monitor how the company’s posts are doing and check what people post about the company.

 

All the tools that are discussed in this article are essential to tackle various roles in office management. A combination of them can make the exercise a real breeze. Make a wise choice of the ones that best fit for the tasks you are responsible for as an Office Manager in your particular company.

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Protect Your Investments by Securing Your Information

Every brokerage firm has an obligation to protect the financial information of its clients. It is therefore prudent as an investor to understand how your brokerage firm handles security procedures. However, even the best procedures cannot be able to prevent all instances where identity theft can occur, especially when the susceptibility lies with the client. How does identity theft occur? There are various ways in which identity theft can occur. For instance, some thieves use software such as keystroke-logging to steal usernames and passwords. Others send emails pretending to be legitimate financial institutions asking for information such as social security number, credit card numbers etc. Below are some tips on how to protect your investment by securing your information.

 

Here are some tips on how to better protect your information:

 

Strong Passwords And Pins

It is advisable to use a combination of numbers, letters, and symbols to make your password strong. Always keep your passwords and PINs secret and not share with anybody. In addition, you should not store them on your computer or phone because anybody can access them. If you need to write them down for remembrance, store such information in a secure and private place.

 

Maintain Your Computer Security

If you engage in online financial transactions, it is important to secure your computer with personal firewalls and other necessary security software packages. Make sure the security software is always running and regularly updated. In the case of a laptop, ensure you use encryption software. Nowadays software developers provide tips on how to improve security systems.

 

Have A Personal Computer

It is much safer to access your online trading account using your personal computer or device. It is not advisable to use public computers to access any of your online accounts that involves transactions. This is because a public computer might contain software that retains your passwords and PINs. In case you use a public computer, make sure you completely clear your history including cache and temporary files. Additionally, you should regularly check to ensure that there are no external devices or programs attached to your computer without your knowledge. This will help to block anyone from secretly accessing your personal information.

 

Log Out

It is important to completely log out after finishing your engagement on your brokerage accounts online. Closing your running browser does not completely mean logging out from your account. In fact, an unauthorized user can re-enter the site and gain control of your account. Also, avoid opening multiple web pages while you are using your brokerage account. You can potentially put yourself at risk of session stealing. If you must other web pages, please do so in different browsers.

 

Be Careful With Wireless Connections

It is very risky to access your brokerage account using a wireless connection. This is because most Wi-Fi in public places has reduced security features to allow access by many users. This can put you at potential risk of someone else accessing your information. However, it is safe to use your personal wireless network which must be protected with strong passwords or encryptions.

 

Be Careful With Apps

Nowadays there are millions of Applications that are downloadable for free. However, be cautious when using these Apps on your computer or mobile devices because they might put you at a security risk. Alternatively, make sure to protect your protect the devices you use to access your account with or avoid using unnecessary Apps completely.

 

Professional Help

A cybersecurity professional can help you secure your account even better. For instance, you can involve an iso 27001 consultant to help you with compliance with international security standards. A professional will be in a better position to provide with the best security solutions. And, in the case of a security compromise, the professionals will most likely be the only people that will be able to help you regain your security.

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