Successful Blog

The Benefits of Investing On Your Employee Health and Fitness

by 1 Comment

Being a business owner or employer, you have got more than one reasons to be concerned about the well being of your employees. You might think that you should only be concerned about their performance and productivity, regardless of how physically or mentally fit they are. After all you are just an employer and not a guardian, and as long as you have provided them with proper working environment, you are not responsible for their health and well-being. Besides, you are paying them good remuneration, so what’s the need to go one step ahead and invest in workplace wellness programs like health education, weight management coaching, on-site exercise equipment, healthy diet options, or activities like fitness boot camp?

Truth is, taking care of your employees’ health and well-being is extremely important, not only because it sounds ethical or virtuous, but also because it will directly affect your business. Let’s see how such an investment can make a difference.

  • To start with, healthy workforce means fewer employees calling in sick. And knowing that too many sick leaves on frequent basis can be costing your business in more than one ways, it will save a lot.
  • Even if the employees don’t take a day-off when they are not feeling well, they will not be able to put their best foot forward and perform their tasks proficiently. Even worse, they might pass on the disease to fellow workers
  • Showing concern and taking care of your employees’ health will result in loyalty and a sense of attachment on part of your employees, and that alone is a cause worth investing in
  • If your employees are not fully fit, they will be more prone to errors and mistakes, they wouldn’t be able to think clearly and come up with ideas, they will lack creativity, and they will lack the stamina or energy to get the things done
  • You can plan while keeping the public holidays in mind, but some team members getting ill and going on sick leaves in the middle of an important project cannot be anticipated, and it will make it difficult for entire team to deliver in time
  • Obesity is becoming a major cause of concern in developed countries, and looking at the nature of jobs, it will continue to grow unless businesses and corporations take concrete steps
  • Good health and a general sense of well-being is a big morale booster, it can be quite difficult to motivate someone when he/she is not feeling good

All in all, healthy workforce will result in more work and better productivity, which will bring in more money and profit for your business, so the investment will more than pay off in the longer run.

Things To Do:

Now that you are (hopefully) convinced on the importance and benefits of investing in your employees’ health and fitness, here’s how you can put it into practice.

  • We are what we eat, so you need to start from food or nutrition, by providing access to nutritious diet and encouraging healthy eating habits like bringing food from their homes instead of ordering junk food. You can invite in some nutrition expert for a small session to speak on healthy eating habits at work
  • Lack of physical activity is one of the biggest culprits behind many ailments, for example obesity. Again you need to work on staff awareness, and allowing them to take small breaks for moving around. If possible, invest in an on-site gym or some sports equipment like table tennis or Foosball
  • Another big contributor to bad health is work related stress. Not only it messes up our mind, but it can push us towards many different unhealthy practices like overeating or smoking. So you need to create an environment and work plan that reduces stress
  • Use print outs and posters on walls to promote healthy lifestyle, for example motivational messages to help them quit smoking, cutting down on tea or coffee consumption, importance of organizing their work for minimum stress, or inspirational messages to raise their spirits
  • Last but not the least; organize day outs, trips, and similar events on regular basis, while making sure that these events involve some adventure, sport, and lots of physical activity. Arranging an event like fitness boot camp or hiking trip can be a great idea to rejuvenate the minds and bodies
Rahil writes on health and fitness related topics for fitness boot camp that offers services like fitness holidays, luxury boot camps, and weight loss camp.

Internet Marketing for Small Businesses – What You Must Keep Track of?

by Leave a Comment

Keeping track of your performance is imperative in all types of marketing, because that is what allows you to see the ROI (return on investment), and to figure out exactly what is working for your business and what’s not. Same goes for marketing your business in the cyber world, if you are not keeping track of your progress, you will keep wasting your time, money and resources on strategies which are practically of no use to your business. Tracking, monitoring, and evaluating your marketing regime is the only thing that can keep you on track.

Keeping an Eye

There are different levels and criterion for tracking, but following are the most basic metrics that must be tracked in all types of Internet Marketing campaigns.

Back Links:

In the olden days of Search Engine Optimization, we use to deal with back links in bulk i.e. the more links you had, the better. Keeping track of these links was limited to having a look at the number of links your website has. A list of free directories was considered to be an asset; people paid hundreds of dollars to get a link from some of those high page rank web directories.

Fast forward to the present days, and you can see that things have drastically changed. Good news is, you don’t need to build links in bulk, bad news is, you still need to build links more than before, however you need to be extra vigilant and make sure you are not over optimizing. The links need to be relevant, coming from trustworthy websites, and they should be growing in numbers that looks natural, or else you will get a penalty instead of going up the ranks. Tracking your back links or link prospects will let you steer clear of the practices that might result in a Google Penalty, and do more harm than good.

Rankings:

It’s quite difficult to know your exact rankings, in fact there’s no universal ranking anymore, owing to highly personalized search results. Your ranking for a given keyword can vary from one location to another (in fact from one PC to another). However, you still need to keep track of your rankings to have an idea if your SEO efforts are paying off or not. It will also allow you to experiment with different SEO and link building methods to gauge the ROI.

Unique Visitors & Bounce Rate:

Everything you do, in the name of Search Engine Optimization, is meant for attracting unique visitors and eventually some sales for your website, so it’s a given that you must to keep track of your bounce rate and the number of unique visitors to see if you are on the right track. Having a high bounce rate means that you were so close (yet so far) of making a sale, while knowing everything about your visitors will let you determine the possible reasons for a high bounce rate. Not keeping a track of these statistics is like shooting in the dark.

Social Media:

Keeping track of your presence at social media is important; because social media is the next big thing after search engine (some might say it’s bigger than that). Social media works differently for different types of websites and businesses, so you cannot rely on stats or tips posted by other webmasters or bloggers. For success at social media, you need to be more creative than systematic, you need to experiment a lot while trying new ways to go viral on some of those social media websites. Without having any kind of tracking (e.g. the referrals from social networks), you will never know if your efforts are paying off.

Author’s Bio:
Arba Hana is an Internet Marketing expert and contributing writer for Digital Third Coast Internet Marketing, Inc.

Five Ways Web Designers Can Help in Internet Marketing

by Leave a Comment

Being a web designer, your responsibility doesn’t start and end with spectacular graphics and eye-catching designs. A web designer must take into account a lot more factors, other than the aesthetics. For example, you must contemplate the requisites like navigation, easy viewing, w3 standards, and the likes. More importantly, you need to keep the marketing and sales factors in mind, thanks to the recent flurry of Google updates and the fast changing trends in cyber world.

Keeping all these things in mind while designing a web page is what sets an ordinary web designer apart from a highly sought-after professional who gets away with the best available jobs.

Following are some important areas that you need to chew over as a web designer, a website with all these points taken care of will be of great help in terms of sales and marketing.

Bounce Rate:

Having a bounce rate on the higher side was never considered a good thing, but its significance has increased manifold after the Google Panda update. A website that doesn’t manage to hold its visitors for sufficient time is bound to slip down the ranks after some time. When it comes to retaining the visitors, it’s true that the content will play the most important role, but the first thing a visitor notices when he/she lands at a website is not the quality of the content, but the design and the overall look.

Even the most meaningful content will lose its worth when it is featured in the middle of unnecessary clutter. A good web designer should be able to come up with a design that gives the center stage to the main content and provides easy-viewing experience for the visitors, so that they will spend some time on the website.

Credibility:

Having a clean and professionally designed website will add to the trust and credibility, which is a big plus for businesses looking to sell online. This is why it is so important to have a highly responsive website, a website that doesn’t fell apart on different browsers (e.g. Firefox, IE, Chrome) or platforms (computers, smart phones, tablets, etc). Doesn’t matter how good is a design, but if it’s taking ages in loading, showing errors, or doesn’t respond in the desired way will fail to make an impression on the visitors.

Branding:

When you are designing website for a brand, you need to keep the brand in mind while choosing everything from colors to typography. Brand building requires a certain consistency in everything, including the logo, header, menu bar, headings, footer, social profiles, and the likes. Remember that brand is a lot more than just a logo and certain colors, every brand has its own character, a certain identity, and your web design should depict that character.

Social Media Integration:

There’s a lot to gain from having a good following at social networks for online businesses, and a web designer must keep the social factor in mind while designing website. Not only they should design customized Facebook or Twitter pages for businesses, but they should integrate social media buttons and icons in a way that will lure the users to click or have a look, instead of just fitting in a plug in with dozens of buttons that hardly get clicked.

Conversion:

For all kinds of websites, conversion is what really matters. And again, web designers can play an important role by designing the landing pages, or sales pages in a way that highlights the strong points of a website. The worst case is when a customer arrives with an intention to make a purchase, but gets irritated by poor navigation or any kind of clutter and leave. Being a web designer, you need to minimize the distractions and highlight the “call to action” in a way that entices customers instead of turning them off.

__

Rahil writes for treehouse, where you will find lots and lots of helpful material to learn web design or web development.

Going One Better – Five Reasons Volunteering Online is Better than Facebook

by Leave a Comment

We are living in the age of internet, from our computers to laptops, and tablets to smart-phones, everything is connected to the World Wide Web in one way or another.

Doesn’t matter if you are working, studying, shopping, or just looking to kill some time, turning towards the Internet has become a norm.

While Internet has proved to be a boon as far as studying, working, or shopping is concerned, the “killing-time” bit is becoming more of a concern, mainly because in most cases this pastime is consisting of useless pursuits like sneaking into others profiles at Facebook or participating in some heated discussions at a forum. Ideally, we should be spending this spare time away from our PC screens. But I know from my personal experience that the temptation of “being online” is hard to resist, especially when we can do so much without leaving our chair.

When I say, we can do so much; I wasn’t really referring to becoming an Internet Warrior or finding your soul-mate at social networks. Truth is, there is plenty of “meaningful” stuff that we can do to make this world a better place. By volunteering for a good cause in your spare time, you can do something worthwhile without even leaving the comfort of your home. Online volunteer work ranges from writing and editing work to consulting and tutoring.

Following are five reasons to prove that volunteering in your spare time is better than getting involved in one of those useless repartees at social networks.

Get The Real Likes:

If you think getting “likes” and “thumbs up” from someone who has nothing better to do in his/her life than commenting on your pictures is worth it, then you haven’t tasted the satisfaction that might come from helping someone. Getting a compliment on your attire or some expensive gadget is more like a hollow gratification, far from satisfying. Knowing that you have actually helped someone in one way or another, will give you a lot more satisfaction.

Friends that matter:

If you think I am against meeting people and making new friends, then it’s certainly not the case. Actually, I am all for making new friends, however, when you are trying to befriend with anonymous users pretending to be the “coolest ones” around, you are bound to be like them sooner than later. On the other hand, when you join hands with the volunteer workers at some of these communities, you get to know real people who are more into doing than talking.

Free Your Mind:

Spending too much time watching TV channels or hanging out all the time at platforms like Facebook can be devastating for your growth as an individual. You might fall into the trap and become a part of the rat race, thinking that having a good looking partner and the latest gadgets are the only goals worth going for. Getting out of this self-centered and money oriented approach will help you free your mind and rise above these artificial things.

Learn:

First it was the Television (AKA the idiot box) that was considered to be a big waste of time, but Facebook has very conveniently taken over that position. The biggest downside of spending so much time on Facebook is that there is no learning whatsoever, nothing, nada … zilch. On the other hand, working as a volunteer will result in productive stuff like research, writing, editing, or tutoring, a lot more fruitful as far as learning is concerned.

Moving On:

Volunteer work has its own lure, once you get involved with some of these causes, and saw the difference that you can make, you will find yourself thinking more and more from that perspective. Who knows, you will be encouraged to go one step ahead and take part in outdoor volunteering activities, hence taking up a healthier, more fulfilling, and highly rewarding pastime, not only for your own self, but for the society as well.

Author’s Bio:
Rahil writes for Isvolunteers.org that offers international volunteer and volunteer abroad programs for students.

Why Freelancers Need to Invest on Getting Themselves a Proper Office and Furniture

by Leave a Comment

Some time ago, when I quit my job to embark upon a freelancing career as a web content writer, I thought, all I needed was a laptop with internet connection. Having that I can sit around anywhere in my home and proceed to work. It didn’t take me long to realize that I was quite off beam. What actually happened … my productivity dropped to less than half of what I was able to do at a 9 to 5 job. I couldn’t concentrate, couldn’t organize the tasks, couldn’t maintain the work-life balance, and the decision of leaving the job started to look horrendously wrong.

Thankfully, it didn’t take me long to figure out that this sudden decline in my efficiency is due to the change in environment, and I went straight for getting myself a dedicated room, office furniture, and a PC, thankfully it has been a pretty smooth ride from then till now.

Let’s see why you must invest on a proper office and the right furniture if you are looking to work as a freelancer.

The Frame of Mind:

You wouldn’t be able to focus on your work while working in casual surroundings, especially if you have got some family members roaming around. Remember that your mind is not accustomed to focus on work while at home, you will manage to pull off a couple of tasks every now and then, but it will be an uphill battle to concentrate on work day in and day out, like you’d do in an office. It is all about the environment, your working environment plays an important role in your overall efficiency and productivity, that’s precisely the reason why companies spend large sums on providing you with the best office supplies, and furniture available in the market. Without a dedicated room and work furniture, you will find it hard to get in to the right mental state for work.

The Distractions:

If you are sitting and trying to work from a living room with laidback settings, the temptation to put your laptop on side and pick up the remote control for a quick look at what’s playing on TV might be a little too hard to resist. Similarly, if you are sitting on a cozy couch or bed, you will feel like lying down and having a nap because you have got all the time to complete the work. This will lead to procrastination that can be disastrous for a freelancer. This is why it is so important to have the basic furniture like workstation and chair, which is made specifically for work and not for rest, not to mention the sprains that you can get from sitting and working in awkward positions with a laptop.

The Visitors and Video Conferencing:

More and more online employers are starting to ask for video conferencing for conducting an interview. In case you are required to be a part of a video conference, sitting in your pajamas on a dining table with a kitchen sink in your background is not the kind of image that they’ll appreciate. Your employer will be looking for some professionalism in your dressing, the surroundings, and of course the furniture, showing that you are serious about your work.

Not only that, but you might need to hire some assistants in near future (I had to employ one in only the second month to carry out the dirty work) and you will need a separate office and furniture for that, even if you have to rent a small office. Freelancing is often confused as something you must do from your home, which is not really correct. For me, freelancing should be the first step towards having your own small business. And the sooner you can get yourself an office and the right furniture, the better.

Get More Respect:

It might sound weird for some, but working from your home is not a very socially acclaimed type of job, especially in developing countries. Even your family will find it hard to give you the space and the atmosphere required for work. Having a separate office and the furniture can be the answer for both of these problems. First it will depict that some “serious” work is going on and you shouldn’t be disturbed, and second it will boast that you have got a real job with real earnings.

Author’s Bio:
Rahil is a contributing writer for Erik Organic Chairs, that offers custom made organic furniture for your home and office, made by genuine hardwood.

Five Ways Traveling Can Help Entrepreneurs

by 2 Comments

The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine

Most entrepreneurs, especially those who are in the early stages of their careers, consider traveling to be a luxury, mainly because traveling is often considered a synonymous to vacations, which is essentially “some time away from your work”. So, a big majority of entrepreneurs or businessmen will down-rightly reject the notion of traveling, because they consider it a waste of time and extravagance, little do they know that a simple trip can do wonders to both themselves and their businesses. Remember that when we talk of a trip, we are not really talking about a night out with your friends, dining at a restaurant or roaming around in a mall, we are talking about traveling to a new faraway destination and exploring a new place, a new city, or even a country. If you are one of those entrepreneurs who think that they can hold off traveling and vacations till they have made it big, and accumulated enough fortune to call it a day, then you are missing on some great learning experiences, and the less you learn, the less you will earn.

Keep on reading to know the five most important benefits of traveling for entrepreneurs and businessman.

Breaking out of the grind:

There comes a point in the lives of professionals and businessmen, when life becomes utterly monotonous, and you may find yourself stuck in the whirlpool of daily chores that you need to do in order to survive. You desperately feel the need of breaking the shackles, but you cannot change your job, business, or go away from your friends or family members just for the sake of change. The good news is, you don’t need such drastic steps in order to break out from the grind, all you need is to pack your bags and take a trip, just make sure you don’t choose another metropolitan as your destination (because the hustle and bustle will make it difficult to break free).

Ideas and Inspiration:

One of the worst consequences of getting caught in the daily routine is, you are discouraging your mind from thinking out of the box, and that is something an entrepreneur can’t afford to do, because the ability to innovate is what distinguishes an entrepreneur from a typical businessman who does nothing but copy. Traveling to new places, exploring new cultures and lifestyles, and breathing new air, will equip you with lots and lots of inspirations and new ideas to work on, with a restored vigor serving as the icing on the cake, because you can use it to turn those ideas into realities.

Explore New Horizons:

This one is a no brainer … traveling will take you to new places, and if you are a true entrepreneur, there’s every chance that you will see a business opportunity lying somewhere to be taken. This is much better than trying to search for newer markets or new prospects over the Internet. Remember that real opportunities exist in real world and not the cyber world, and it takes a lot more than googling to find them.

Partnerships:

Even if you are not planning to expand your business to other locations anytime soon, there’s every chance that you will stumble across a new and better supplier of a material that you need for your existing business, or you might also find new opportunities to partner up with a business for mutual benefits, especially if you can plan your trip around an event or trade show taking place at another city or country.

De-stress:

Everything around us is turning into a potential stress factor, you can read those self-development books, listen to soothing melodies, spend your nights watching block buster movies or sitcoms for all you want, but there are times when these things start contributing to your stress rather than helping you to loosen up, in fact they become the part of the grind that we were talking about. A stressed mind will lead to negative thinking, and that directly impacts our productivity in a negative way. Therefore, when you are finding it hard to unwind or to let it go, it’s time that you leave everything behind and go out on a short voyage. Rest assured, you will be returning with a re-energized mind, body, and if you are lucky enough, a rejuvenated soul.

__

Rahil is an entrepreneur and frequent traveler. If you are looking for some top notch group travel arrangements, you can try Release Travel, a stag and hen company based in United Kingdom, offering all kinds of customized travel arrangements like Hen Weekends, Stag Weekends, or Activity Weekends.