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Laurie Ferguson's Business Tips

Do You Need to Declare Bankruptcy?

October 1, 2019
by Laurie Ferguson

Often, when people find themselves in a state of financial issues, they opt to declare bankruptcy. This not only allows them to regroup on the state of their financial situation, but it also allows them to start life on a new financial level.

Although bankruptcy can be scary for most people, it ends up being the best alternative for those who cannot cover the debts they have. It gives you rest and peace of mind since the creditors do not contact you for payments. You also get to restructure your approach to finances, which ends up being highly beneficial in the long run.

There are two ways you could end up in bankruptcy. First, it could be from a self-declaration when you realise you cannot pay off debts. Creditors could also push you to bankruptcy if you are unable to meet the terms of agreement you had when borrowing.

Some of the things most people are concerned about when they consider filing for bankruptcy can be summed up to four questions. These are:

Is bankruptcy the best option for their situation?
Do they get to keep working as employees or business owners?
Will they lose their house and car?
Does bankruptcy affect their pay?

When you declare bankruptcy, a trustee is appointed to head all your financial transactions. They take over all aspects of your finances for three years. Thus, before you consider declaring bankruptcy, you need to ensure that it is the best solution for your situation.

Effects of Applying for Bankruptcy

The appointment of a trustee to your financial operations is meant to empower your journey out of debt. They take charge of all the significant transactions and direct the money to clear your debt. When you come to us, we cover the basics of all your concerns and advise you on the best approach.

Most of the solutions we offer our clients include public insolvency, company liquidation, debt agreements and consolidation of loans, and small business bankruptcy. Each of the solutions we present to our clients is followed up with expert input on why we think they should consider a particular approach.

Once you declare bankruptcy, you might keep some household items which are not of high value, cars with low credit. Your income is regulated based on the number of dependents you have. You keep paying off any court fines, child support, or higher education loans you have through the bankruptcy period.

You might lose high-value assets, and you will be registered on credit reports. This will hinder your attempts to access loans and credit for a period.

Responsibilities During Bankruptcy

Declaring bankruptcy is the first step to reclaiming your financial capacity. For you to successfully get out of debt, you need to be disciplined. Our job is to act as mediators between you and your creditors, we receive phone calls on your behalf and answer all questions for you. We also prepare files for your declaration and advise you on the best alternatives for your situation.

Despite all of our input, the process requires your contribution for it to be successful. You will need to;

Give a clear summary of your financial situation
Sign a client agreement
Provide timely updated for any change in your finances
Settle all the required payments
Consolidate an income report

Before you make your move, bankruptcy advice from NR Consulting.

Business

Advantages of Installing CCTV Cameras Melbourne

July 23, 2019
by Laurie Ferguson

CCTV cameras seem to be everywhere in commercial areas. The sight of them has become fairly common.

Every type of businesses seems to favour the use of CCTV cameras. It’s because CCTV offers the most affordable security systems and one of the easiest to set up as well.

IN Melbourne, not only businesses gain benefits with the use of CCTV cameras. CCTV cameras Melbourne is all set to install security systems in homes as well.

Advantages of setting up CCTV cameras in the home

The security of your property can be dramatically enhanced by using CCTV cameras. With CCTV cameras on your property, family members will be able to feel safe and protected.

Some of the advantages CCTV cameras can do to protect home and family includes:

Big visual deterrent

Pre-planned crimes can be deterred when criminals see the presence of CCTV cameras. Thieves are less likely to enter the home when they see CCTV cameras on the property. This enhances the safety of family and property. The best way to use CCTV in your home is to clearly advertise its presence. This will be conveying a message for unwanted invaders to stay away.

Bring criminals to justice

CCTV will not only prevent crime from happening to the home, but it is also the best way to identify criminals. The CCTV footage can show if a criminal event happened in your property or near the cameras. This footage can be helpful in bringing criminals to justice. Having a CCTV camera means having the means to help the police find and identify the culprits. This action protects not only your home but help keep the streets safe as well.

Reduce the costs of insurance policy

The amount of money you pay towards your home insurance policy is reduced when you have a CCTV camera installed in your property. This informs the insurance company that you are serious about the security of your home. This means that the likelihood of making a claim towards property damage and vandalism is minimal. This allows a reduced policy cost from your insurance provider.

Allows monitoring of blind spots in your home

There are likely to be blind spots in your home. These are areas you would not be able to see from your windows. Checking out a noise or doing some perimeter checking for your peace of mind can be done without having to go out. Your CCTV can also make you check out somebody at your door without having to answer it. Homes with vulnerable people such as the elderly can be protected from uninvited trespassers by using the CCTV as a peephole.

Low maintenance

One of the amazing benefits to the CCTV is their next to nothing maintenance. Unlike other security systems, installing CCTV monitors protects your home over the years without doing anything on them. All it needs is to occasionally wipe them clean and have an annual schedule visit from a professional team.

The CCTV security system has become so popular, almost every corner of commercial areas have them. Installing cctv cameras in Melbourne is the smartest way to protect property and family.

Security Companies

Private Eye Brisbane- Why hire a private investigator

July 4, 2019
by Laurie Ferguson

Have you been victim to fraud? Are you embroiled in controversy because of a deceptive person? Do you feel that your life and personal assets could be at risk? All these instances warrant the services of a private eye in Brisbane. They can help resolve all such issues within a specific time frame. Hiring a private investigator is one way of making sure that you and your assets stay safe.

A private investigator can gather important evidence against a person or an organization which could help get them behind bars for the crime they have committed.

What does a private eye in Brisbane do?

Those who suspect that their spouses might be cheating. One of the major reasons why private investigators are hired are for infidelity issues. A PI can gather the proof or evidence by taking pictures and analyzing video surveillance footage. This is done in a completely private manner.
In order to win a child custody case crucial evidence has to be submitted in court. A private eye can collect all that information which is not possible for a parent to collect on their own.
In order to find a missing person. Sometimes a child may run away, or they might get embroiled with the wrong kind of people or company. In case something like this occurs, things can easily get out of hand. In order to make sure that the children get home safely, they collect the necessary information. This is because private detectives have the right kind of contacts. Their contacts enable them to get into the crux of the issue and unearth information which is not possible for any layperson to get.
If an adopted child is interested in finding their birth parents, private investigator can handle that as well. However, not all private investigators might be willing to help in this situation.
Carrying out background checks at the time of hiring new employees. If the employers are interested in hiring someone and want to ensure that they are making the right decision, they can hire a private investigator. All people have a past. Some have one which could be associated with crime.in order to avoid such individuals its best to have a background check run on them.
If a company has been subject to fraud, they can lose a great deal of money. Hiring a private investigator can help them locate the individuals responsible for the fraud and enable them to recover some of the amount which they have lost due to those fraudulent activities.

A private investigator can do a great deal more as well. They can uncover fictitious assets, get to know about fraudulent business owners and gather information on both businesses as well as individuals.

They can help people deal with uncomfortable situations with ease. If you feel that you could be at risk due to an unknown threat or that your business might be suffering due to a certain individual. Make sure to hire private eye in Brisbane.

Business

Digital Marketing Company

June 12, 2019
by Laurie Ferguson

Competition is not only prevalent in education and employment but also in the business world. Nobody wants to be left behind, and because of this, business inclined individuals see to it that they are aware of the latest trends in the business industry and are up to date with marketing strategies and investment techniques that are similar to purchasing stocks or bonds in the stock market.

Aside from the idea that the internet could give an entrepreneur not only endless possibilities of reaching his customers, but also earning a vast amount of money from the sales made for a particular business day. Digital marketing companies also have the option to introduce their products and services even to remote areas that are dependent on traditional forms of advertisement. These include items like colorful and digitized posters printed on tarpaulin, informative leaflets that are printed from computers and even simple billboards that are made, edited, and manipulated using the latest computer application software.

The above-mentioned marketing scenario is telling us that digital marketing companies do not rely on the internet to promote their products and services to the public. Advertising materials like print media could be customized and done creatively in order to look very enticing and tempting for prospective buyers or patrons. Before you get help from a digital marketing company, consider the following informative items below:

What is digital marketing?

Digital marketing is a type of marketing products or services with the use of digital channels to be able to reach their customers. The primary objective is to promote their product brands through different forms of digital media. The power of digital marketing reaches or extends what is beyond web or internet marketing by including channels that do not require the services of the world wide web. A concrete example of digital marketing is a colorful and live video billboard placed strategically on a busy main thoroughfare of a city or urban setting. When a particular company is promoting its new products or brands for the first time, they could successfully utilize one or other forms of electronic media. Unlike traditional marketing, it employs various or multiple channels and methods that allow a business firm or organization to come up with a comprehensive analysis of marketing campaigns and understand by assessment or evaluation what is working and what’s not effective in the market.

What is SEM in digital marketing?

SEM refers to Search Engine Marketing. It is a form of web or internet marketing that involves the promotion of websites by increasing their visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) primarily through paid advertising.

What are examples of digital marketing channels?

Online public relations – this is primarily done by customer service representatives from different companies all over the world who have access to a landline, a mobile phone or an internet ready desktop or laptop. More often, this is also done by call center agents.

Affiliate marketing – is a type of marketing arrangement by which an online retailer pays a commission to an external website for traffic or sales generated from its referrals.

Content marketing – a type of marketing that involves the creation and sharing of online material such as videos, blogs and social media posts that does not explicitly promote a brand but is intended to stimulate an interest in a particular product, brands or related services.

Business

Tips to build a Successful Business

April 15, 2019
by Laurie Ferguson

Want to start up a successful business? Ask yourself this question first. Do you have what it really takes to initiate a venture? The idea, the right business choice, a precise plan, capital, risks and rewards and a professional business consultant Gold Coast, these are all the prerequisites. But, do you have that level of commitment, the determination, consistency, and the sacrifices it calls for? If yes, let’s go further.

Your Business Idea

To build the strong roots of a business, you need to have the right business idea, the one that suits your interest and has the potential to survive in the long run. Once you have one, connect your business idea with the market reality to canvas its worth. The services you are offering or the product you intend to launch, do people really need it? If yes, create a meticulous, tangible plan to convert your idea into a reality.

Plan to Succeed

Planning is everything. Target your focal groups. Does your marketing skills/strategies are good enough to outreach your expectant consumers? Next comes the market analyses, who your competitors are? How you can be different from them? Is your business idea going to survive the cut-throat market competition? These are a few important questions that need to have clear cut answers in your mind. Jot it down on a paper. Now you have a blueprint of your venture and that’s good enough to start.

Investments

Nothing works without money and in order to analyze how much your start-up is going to burn up, create a spreadsheet and develop budgets onto it. Keep a regular check on your monetary transactions and the flow of your capital. You may use any hot money management application to track your sales, revenues and cash flow in the later stages of your business. Do consider insurance for your new venture, it will give you financial security and your business, no matter how the market goes.

Go Creative

Because that’s the only way to survive and flourish in business. Mundane has no place in today’s world. Open yourself to take risks, take failure as an experience as move on. Brainstorm, what can make you better, find new patterns to achieve your goals and stand apart from the crowd. Once you own a business, there is no going back and it’s not about the money, it’s about that passion, that idea, that spark, that made you start it at first place. Hold onto it.

Take it Easy/ Slow and Steady win the race

Remember! Gaining financial independence and success in a business is not an overnight process. In a start-up, you are only a giver at first. From the initial invested capital to managing at least one year of expenses, could be a whole lot. You may face failure and feel it’s all going to pine away but with consistency, determination, teamwork and focusing on long term success, you can make it work.

Leadership

Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace

April 15, 2019
by Laurie Ferguson

When hiring staff an employer can look at a variety of things while conducting an interview. They would be looking for an individual who seems logical, ambitious and shows some signs of emotional intelligence as well.

Emotionally intelligent people possess the following traits:

Emotionally intelligent individuals are self-aware
They know self-management skills
They possess social awareness
They know and practice necessary social skills

A person with a high level of EI, is an asset to any organisation that they work for. It helps them to do better than their competitors. It makes it easier for people to communicate with others on their team. Such individuals believe in tea building and work for the betterment often complete organisation.

The following are some of the reason why it’s important o have individuals with high EI in the workplace.

High level team building

Employees with high emotional intelligence work better in a team. They can communicate easily with the other members on the team. Their easy and comforting manner is a source of comfort for others as well. They believe in working towards their goal using the right motivation. They also make the other members on the team feel like a part of a group which is focused towards similar goals.

They share their idea clearly and are also willing to work on the idea provided by others. They have an innate aura which allows them to trust the people on the team and therefore enforce a positive work environment. Also such individuals do not try to make their effort into a complete one man show but rather a collective effort from the whole team.

A comfortable office environment

Emotionally intelligent people boost the morale of those around themselves. They not only try to work positively alone but they also focus on helping others progress as well. This creates a great working environment. When employees feel that they do not have to worry about any negativity from their coworkers it helps everyone work better. This would make all the employees feel positive towards the work place. If they enjoy what they do, they tend to become more productive. Simply the presence of a few emotionally intelligent people in the workplace can be a major benefit for any organisation.

Makes it easier for employees to accept change

It is common for businesses to reassess themselves and then take any decision. While change is a necessary it may not always be welcomed with open arm by those who work within the company. They might perhaps feel threatened or may not respond to it in a positive manner. On the other hand if the employees are emotionally intelligent, they would not only accept the change but would focus on making it into a positive experience.

High emotional intelligence in the work place makes it easier to manage difficult situations

People with high EI, know how to handle any difficult situation. They know how to handle tough situations. It’s common to experience such situations at the work place but these should be dealt with in a patient manner without disrupting the environment of the work space. Most people with high emotional intelligence handle such situations well and are quick to diffuse arguments.

Solicitor

Family Law

March 1, 2019
by Laurie Ferguson

Certain legal battles are akin to chronic illnesses, they only worsen over time especially when they are left untreated. Any respectable lawyer would advise their clients to seek timely counsel at the onset of any legal matter. The quicker you can obtain counsel on a legal predicament, greater are the chances of a favourable resolution for all parties involved. Here we are going to discuss the scope and parameters of Family Law and whether it applies to your current situation. You may be surprised at the possibilities of legal options available to you in most cases. Remember many legal issues requires tactful and astute planning, always heed the advice of your legal counsel.

Divorce & Separation

If you’re dealing with a legal issue regarding the termination of a relationship, seek an experienced lawyer who can inform you about your legal rights, entitlements, and obligations that stem from your relationship, marriage, separation, or divorce.

Family Property Settlement

If you need any assistance with finalising any financial matters that may arise from the breakdown of your relationship, such as a property settlement agreement or consent orders, make sure to seek legal counsel with a lawyer who specialises in Family Property Settlement issues in order to ensure the highest probability of a positive outcome.

Domestic Violence Matters

If you’re experiencing any form of domestic violence, it is imperative to seek the guidance of an experienced family lawyer in Gold Coast. One who has expertise in dealing with the litigation of domestic violence matters and dealing with the aggrieved. The lawyer will inform you on whether you have grounds to obtain a protection order or reviewing any other possible legal recourse available to you.

De Facto & Same-Sex Relationships

For anyone dealing with legal issues revolving around the termination of a same-sex relationship, seek the counsel of a lawyer who can assist you in all aspects of the separation process including the negotiation of a financial settlement, certain parenting affairs, and representation in family law proceeding after separation. They may also be able to assist you with providing guidance on the existence of a current relationship or pre-separation advice.

Adoption & Surrogacy

If you are considering adoption or entering in a surrogacy arrangement agreement, seek the advice of skilled family lawyers with expertise in the field in order to wisely advise you through the lengthy process of adoption or a surrogacy arrangement. They may also be able to assist you in obtaining parentage orders following the birth of a child through a surrogate.

Child Custody & Support

If you’re a separated parent or a non-parent caregiver considering parenting arrangements for a child, turn to experienced family lawyers who have vast experience in negotiating and advocating for child-focused parenting arrangements. Legal matters concerning children can be quite sensitive, always heed the advice of your lawyer before proceeding in any manner.

Dispute Resolution

In certain instances where an alternative dispute resolution process such as mediation is preferred, seek out expert family lawyers who are available to assist with advice and representation in all aspects of the litigation process. Most notably issues dealing with disputes regarding Child Support and maintenance.

Keep in Mind

Always do your due diligence in order to find the best legal team available for your particular case. Most legal issues can’t be resolved with a one-size-fits-all mentality, find a diligent legal team that specialises in finding a tailored solution to your legal battle.

Solicitor

Qualities Of The Best Gold Coast Lawyers

February 18, 2019
by Laurie Ferguson

Are you a lawyer? If yes, there are some essential skills needed for your ideal career to be in a position of working and developing over time. In this article, I will share a few of the skills you need to work on if you want to be a successful lawyer. They include:

Good Communication Skills

Being orally articulate, embracing effective written communication skills, and being a good listener is an essential thing if you’re a lawyer in Gold Coast. For you to make convincing arguments in the courtroom, good public speaking skills are unavoidable.

You can develop your speaking and communication skills by engaging in several activities like general public speaking or mooting. As a lawyer, it is essential to write concisely, clearly, and persuasively since you’re supposed to produce several legal documents. Also, to be in a position of analysing the needs of the clients, you must embrace good listening skills.

Judgment

As a lawyer, you must be in a position of drawing reasonable and logical assumptions or conclusions from the available information. You must be capable of considering any judgment critically, such that you can anticipate the main areas of weakness that need to be fortified against.

Other than this, you must be in a position of sporting the points of weakness whenever engaged in an opposition argument. Also, you must note decisiveness is an essential part of the judgment. You need to keep in mind that you’ll be required to make several judgment calls with little time to sit on the fence.

Analytical skills

As per the practice and study of law, every lawyer is required to absorb large quantities of information and then distill into a manageable and logical thinking. You’ll realise that some cases will give rise to more than a genuine conclusion or more than one precedent applicable to resolve the situation.

As a lawyer, you need to possess the evaluative skills so that you’ll be in a position of choosing the most suitable option.

Research Skills

A good lawyer must demonstrate a high level of research skills. Through this, you’ll be in a position of researching quickly and effectively. This allows you to understand the clients, their desires and be in a position of preparing the legal strategies.

For you to prepare the legal strategies, you need to absorb and comprehend large quantities of information, then be able to explain it so that others can understand what is going on.

People skills

As a lawyer, you must keep in mind that you’re working with people and any decision you make has a big impact on their lives. Therefore, a lawyer needs to be in a position of readings others, personable, and persuasive. Through this, you’ll be capable of gauging the reactions of the jurors and the witnesses honesty. This will allow you to decide on the most appropriate approach to attain the desired outcome.

Perseverance

Remember, studying to emerge a successful lawyer requires a great deal of perseverance. Usually, to be a lawyer, you need to do an LPC, an undergraduate law degree, and then go for a training contract before you get identified as a qualified lawyer. Most lawyers complete another kind of work experience or have another skill to fall back on when needed. Also, you must embrace perseverance whenever working for a case to complete the necessary work for a successful finish.

Security Companies

Tips for Hiring a Security Guard

January 14, 2019
by Laurie Ferguson

Are you searching for a security guard in Sydney? Perhaps one of the most difficult things for any home owner or business owner is to find someone to guard their place. The following tips would make it easier to hire the right person for the job.

Choose someone who has no record of criminal background. It is necessary to carry out a background check for anyone who you want to hire. Most people avoid background checks cause they tend to be a bit expensive but it is always better to be safe than sorry. You wouldn’t want to hire someone who doesn’t have a clean slate when it comes to security issues. After all it is a matter of safety of your loved ones and all the people who work for you. Choose the right person for the job and you can rest assured that you are doing your best to protect those who are near to you.
When interviewing the security guard, make sure you check out their interpersonal skills. Take a look at how they behave with you. Do they have a pleasant approach? Do they look open and honest? You can easily judge if someone has shifty look about them. Keep in mind that whoever you hire would be taking care of those who work for you or who live within your home. You want to employ someone who is honest and cares about their work.
Ask them whether they have a clean chit for passing the drug screening test.

In order to find the right security guards you would need to check out with several security providing companies. If you want to hire just one person you can easily ask them to send over their candidate for you to interview. If you plan on employing a team of guards you might need to have a detailed talk with the company and let them know what kind of security guards you are looking for. You would need to cover whether you are looking for someone who carries weapons or not.
Make sure you interview the candidate and ask them the right questions. The right questions would include their age, experience and the designation they have worked on in the past. You can ask those questions about their technological knowledge. This could include questions on the usage of cc TV cameras, reporting software and etc.
Take your time when making a final decision. This is because it concerns the security of those around you and that should be the most important thing for you. You need to find someone who has the right aptitude and attitude when providing the best kind of security. You should find someone who is alert, quick and can make fast decisions based on how they observe things and the surroundings. Only choose candidates who are proactive and the right fit for the job.

For more information on hiring security guards in Sydney, make sure you contact the best security guards company.

Blog

Focus On Building A Positive Team Culture Among Your…

June 26, 2018July 4, 2018
by Laurie Ferguson

When you have a good team of people, each person is in service to the others. Everyone must work together, but you’ve heard all of that before. You’re looking for some team building tips that will help your crew be even more cohesive. There are several different approaches you can take. Are you the supervisor, coach, team leader, owner or otherwise the boss? Here are some ideas that you can work off of to help foster a positive team culture.

It’s interesting because when it comes to team building exercises, the experts have conflicting recommendations. For example, some say to schedule events outside of work hours so that a team of employees can socialize without stresses related to employment. Then there are experts who say that it’s best to host all team building exercises during regular work hours. Why?

It’s because people work long hours. While events outside of regular work hours can be fun to attend, not every employee or team member is going to be excited about them. And for the ones that are, you want them to relax and have some fun, right? To be clear, there is merit to both arguments, and maybe this advice from cornerconsult.com.au can help you clear up how you want to orchestrate everything with your team.

Sometimes team members can feel like they are in competition with each other. A little friendly competition doesn’t hurt, but it affects each person differently. That being said, competition shouldn’t be the focus; instead, collaboration should be your goal. When team members collaborate together, they build upon a foundation of ideas vs competing with each other.

Teams compete against other teams, not each other. Team members should be focused on collaboration. Furthermore, in order for team members to work together, clear communication is always the expectation. You want your team to communicate well with each other, and you need to be able to communicate well with them, too. Part of your job is to be clear about your expectations regarding the team.

Communication was mentioned, so let’s talk about one way you want to have dialogue with your team. You want to get feedback from them. Feedback from team members is important when it comes to the cohesiveness of the unit. There are many ways you can gather this feedback, but remember that you want to communicate well with and listen to your team.

In other words, you want to make things personal. Your team members need to feel personal connections with you and others. You are running a business, and your team members are employees. However, everyone is personally invested. You want reliable, dedicated and motivated team members, and that is why you are focusing on building a positive team culture.

You want a team with common goals. You need to be sure that each team member knows his or her role. That includes responsibilities. As the leader, you need to be good at delegation, too. It takes a team to get a job done. Take the time to listen to your team, and work on strengthening the bond between everyone one day at a time.

Blog

Things For Consider When Booking A Conference Venue

May 4, 2018August 1, 2018
by Laurie Ferguson

Are you in charge of setting up a conference venue for your company? You need to make sure that you are going to get a large enough space, and that it will be available on the proper day. It’s also got to be at a location which is convenient for everyone to attend. Finally, you need to consider the reputation of the company that you are going to obtain this from. Essentially, you are renting a conference room or space where there could be as many as 100 people gathered together. Here are some things to consider when you are booking a conference venue, questions that you need to ask in order to get the best deals.

Always Verify You Can Book The Right Date

Before you ask about prices, or even how large this room or auditorium is going to be, you need to know it’s available on the date that it is required. If you have a specific date that you needed for, that is the first process of elimination that you go through. This is going to help you narrow down only those that will have that date available.

Make Sure It Is Accessible

If this is a conference that is going to be attracting people from different parts of the country, and they are coming via a car, train or airport, you need to make sure it is easy to find. You also need to know it’s accessible. This means you’re going to have plenty of parking for everyone that is going to attend. As long as it is in a convenient location, and there is plenty of parking, these are requisites that must be part of the deal.

Ask How Large The Facility Is

Next, you need to know how large this facility is. For example, if you have 100 people coming, it needs to easily fit all of them. If this is a national conference, and there could be up to a thousand people, you need to have enough space for everyone so they don’t feel crowded.

Will There Be Room For Refreshments

Another question you need to ask is if there are areas where refreshments can be served. If people are going to be there all day, not only should there be refreshments, but there should be places to eat that are nearby. You might even want to hire a catering service that can bring food. However, if there’s not enough space for them, it’s not going to matter.

Make Sure They Cater Events Just Like Yours

One final thing to consider is whether or not they cater events like yours. For example, if you are hosting a then you for your company, and they are going to provide food and refreshments, make sure that the food that they serve will cater to those that will be there. You might have a lot of people coming that are vegans or vegetarians. They need to be able to provide you with those types of snacks and meals.

These are just a couple of the many questions that you need to ask before you schedule a place to have a venue. The conference that you have needs to be successful, and by asking these five questions, you can eliminate many of the ones that will not be accommodating at all. You can then narrow down your final choice based upon price and location. Once that is done, you can pay for this and get ready to set everything up.

Blog

Why You Should Ensure You Have Staff Trained In…

May 4, 2018May 24, 2018
by Laurie Ferguson

Every business, big or small should consider their workforce as an integral asset that should be well-taken care of. To this end, business owners and their management teams should strive to provide the safest work environment possible. Sure enough, to this end, many businesses do provide workplace safety training that is geared towards enhancing the workers’ understanding of the best workplace safety practices.

However, even with the best training, you can expect things to go wrong, causing accidents that may result in injuries. Additionally, workers may fall ill and require urgent medical attention. This is why businesses are required to take steps to have first aid capabilities in-house. This is especially important for businesses that are located in areas devoid of clinics, dispensaries, hospitals or other medical services centres.

Some of the first aid capabilities and capacity includes having a suitably stocked first aid box depending on the level of workplace hazard; appointing and training a person to take charge of all first-aid responsibilities (or send all staff to an external training company like WTA for first aid training), and disseminating the information on your business’ first aid arrangement.

As you can appreciate, first aid is something to consider as important and a priority as it is mandated for the business. However, there are benefits to having enhanced first aid capacity and capability in your business, especially with regards to having a trained staff to carry our first aid. Herein are some of the benefits of having staff members who are well-trained with regards to offering first aid in your business.

#1. Meet Your Legal Obligations Towards Worker Safety:

As mentioned above, businesses have an obligation to meet with regards to providing first aid before medical assistance arrives. As such, training your staff on how to perform first aid enables your business to meet this legal and, in many regards, a social obligation in their business.

#2. Enhances Safety Awareness In Your Business:

Training your staff on matters of first aid is also an extension of workplace safety training. While much of typical workplace training will focus on the preventing accidents and carrying out tasks in a safe manner, first aid training helps your staff members to understand the best procedures to follow when someone falls ill or when an accident arises. No other training will give your workers this knowledge.

#3. Workers Will Have An Intricate Understanding Of First Aid:

First aid training involves a lot. For instance, your staff will be taught on how the various components in the first aid box, what each component is used for, the best first aid procedures for various situations (for instance, CPR procedures, bandaging injuries, controlling blood flow, etc.), and much more.

#4. Reduces The Extent Of Potential Injuries:

Another benefit of having your staff trained to perform first aid is that when emergencies arise, they are able to take charge of the situation, and therefore, help reduce the extent of injuries. The critical skills they learn are necessary for controlling the emergency and reducing its effects. This is important as it can lower the downtime due to injuries and importantly, it can save a life

Finally, often times, such measures make your employee feel valued. As such, they are more willing to put their best foot forward for your business to grow, which is a good thing for your business.

Blog

Two Reasons Why SEO May Be a Great Option

May 3, 2018May 1, 2018
by Laurie Ferguson

Do you own a local business and are looking for new ways to increase revenue? Many small businesses look for different ways to increase their profits and in doing so look towards new advertising or marketing strategies. It can be quite difficult to know which marketing and advertising technics work the best especially since there is so much information on the internet. Luckily, there are a few marketing strategies that a small business can use to increase their yearly profits. One of the best strategies to use is called search engine optimization (SEO). Let’s go over search engine optimization and determine if you should invest in this marketing.

What is SEO?

In order to determine if search engine optimization is a good fit for your small business, you’ll have to know what it is. To give a definition of search engine optimization, according to http://www.duxdigital.com.au/expertise/seo/, it is a marketing strategy to increase the number of visitors that come to your website. The way the number of visitors increase is through optimizing your website so it can be discovered easier on search engines such as Bing or Google. For example, if you own a landscaping company in Miami, an SEO firm will try to rank your website in the search engines for “landscaping Miami” to effectively get you more traffic to your website.

Is SEO Really a Good Investment?

The main question that you have is if your business should invest in SEO compared to other marketing strategies. Let’s go over a few reasons as to why SEO may be your best option as a marketing tactic.

Get Targeted Traffic

If you own a local business you can easily target your potential customers or clients with the help of a search engine optimization campaign. With an SEO campaign, you can target your potential clients by making a specific web page for them and ranking it in one of the top search engines. For example, if you own a landscaping company and you want to target people who want rock walls built, you can create a web page around that topic and rank it on Google for “Rock Walls Miami”.

Higher Return on Investment

The nice thing about SEO is that you can target your potential clients which means you may end up having a higher return on your investment. With a billboard or a radio ad, you end up targeting the whole population which means you’ll end up getting subpar results. With an SEO campaign, you can target the people who are already searching for your service or product. This means that your marketing strategy will convert much better and yield you more profits.

These are just a few reasons as to why SEO is a good investment for your small business. You should be able to see a greater return on your investment since you are able to target your ideal audience. Be sure to get expert advice from an SEO firm, so they can create the best marketing tactic for your small business.

Blog

The Pros And Cons Of Renting Vs. Buying Transport…

April 19, 2018May 1, 2018
by Laurie Ferguson

It does not matter if you are planning to open a new or simply expanding your business, you will need facilities or equipment. This simply means that you will need things such as computers, chairs, desks, and even transportation. Well, the good news is that it is possible to rest almost anything these days. However, many business owners prefer buying their equipment such as transportation.

What many do not know is that renting can provide a lifeline for cash-strapped businesses that need necessary equipment for trade. Though, this move is not always the smartest decision. There are situations buying equipment is better than renting. This is because there are many factors to consider such as comparing the rent cost and the income it brings.

Should you buy or rent transport for your business; this is the million-dollar question. Well, to help you make the best decision in this situation, below are the benefits and limits of each. This will help you make the right decision.

In a nutshell, there are generally four factors to consider when making this huge decision. These factors include:

• The Risk
• The Focus or Aim
• Flexibility
• Finance

The Pros And Cons Of Renting Transportation

The Pros

• You Get Access To Numerous Transport Option: One of the biggest advantages businesses get for renting transportation is that they are not limited in terms of transportation options. This simply means that you will get to satisfy your business’s transportation needs.

• Getting Special Rate: Another benefit is that you will be in a position to receive special rates. What does this mean? well, if you are renting transportation on a contract basis (such as a monthly payment plan, millage basis, etc.), you will surely receive special rates that may benefit your business greatly.

• Efficient And Fast: Renting transportation for your business is efficient and fast. This means you will get the transport you need, at the right time. Generally, you will get a ready transport.

• You Do Not Have To Pay The Full Cost: The benefit of it all is that with renting a truck, you do not have to pay the full cost. This means that you do not have to use up all your cash or borrow money. This is an excellent way to also project your income as well as calculating the risk.

The Cons

• You Get Access For A Fixed Period: Generally, depending on the point of view you look at this point from, it can be a limitation or a benefit. For example, it can be a benefit if you need transportation for a particular time only. On the other hand, it is a limitation because you are guided by a contract, which means that if it expires, you will not get access to it, not unless you renew.

• You Must Pay: Since you are renting transportation for your business, this means that you must pay for the service.

• Last Minute Bookings: Renting offers limitations to last minute bookings. This generally means that it needs booking in advance.

The Pros And Cons Of Buying Transportation

The Pros

• Very Efficient And Flexible: This is a benefit that applies to conducting business. It makes doing or transporting material easy.

• No Last Minute Booking: This option does not have last minute booking

• Ad Benefits: With your own transportation, you will get an opportunity to advertise your business.

• Time Constraint: For business with time constraint such as floral shops or bakeries, having a vehicle is more beneficial.

The Cons

• Insurance And Maintenance: With buying transportation, you must be ready to deal with insurance and all maintenances.

• Storage: When you buy A vehicle, you must have somewhere to store them, like a garage. This will present an issue with your facilities especially if you do not have space.

• Purchasing Cost: It is a known fact that purchasing transportation is not cheap.

Blog

Increased Workplace Morale Through Awards

April 15, 2018May 1, 2018
by Laurie Ferguson

Morale in the workplace can rise and fall due to different circumstances. One way to make sure that it stays up is by giving employees awards. The awards will increase happiness along with productivity. The following award options can do wonders for workplace morale.

Workplace morale can be increased through the fostering of innovation and creativity. An award that recognizes the new ideas put forth by employees will encourage them to come up strategies that will affect everyone positively. Any kind of new idea, such as a more efficient or cost saving measure or a new product to market, could produce results that would result in more productivity and even profits. As long as the higher ups take notice of these ideas and actively encourage employees to think of them, the employees will have a positive outlook on the culture of the company as a whole.

Employees work hard to complete specific projects, and sometimes they’ll have to deal with heavier than usual work loads and tight deadlines. Once the project is completed, the employees would love to be recognized for all of their hard work. An award based on each project that both acknowledges the time and effort of the employees, and celebrates their successes will make the employees feel good about their actions and encourage them to do it again. Special recognition can be used to award anyone who carried out the role of a leader while working on the project.

The neatness of a workplace environment may be sometimes overlooked, but it can be used as a way to boost morale. A cluttered work space can have a negative effect on the mental state of the employees, not to mention the employees have a harder time finding items or forms they may need. An award for the neatest work space will encourage employees to keep their area clean, which will make the workplace look better and bring order. Something like a monthly or weekly reward for an entire room of clean work stations would really encourage employees to stay neat and to work together to keep it that way. You could even get a trophy from http://www.trophyspecialists.com.au/ for them to display in their sparkling clean workspace!

Employees can have morale boosts through random awards. These awards would be given based on a particular action taken by the employee, but wouldn’t be scheduled far in advance, making them completely unexpected. This will encourage employees to stay on their toes and put their best work forward in the chances that they might be hit with a random award. The award works even better when it comes in the form of a small monetary bonus or maybe some additional vacation time.

Most workplaces have employees who have been there for a long time. An award made specifically for these employees can honor and recognize their efforts that they’ve given to the company in all of their years of service. This will also encourage newer employees to stay with the company so that they can get the same kind of recognition.

Once the employees are rewarded for their work, the atmosphere of the workplace will be better.

Leadership

Become a Better Leader in 5 Easy-to-Follow Steps

December 9, 2017December 14, 2017
by Laurie Ferguson

Being a business owner means being a leader. But being a great leader is not something that comes naturally to most of us. Usually, when we are heading teams of people, something slips through the cracks and this may cause massive damage to your team’s trust in you. In this post, we look at 5 ways you can be the best leader for your team.

Get in Touch With the Team

Being a leader means communicating effectively and being in touch with your team and their needs. Transparency is a term that is often used in the world of business, and employees appreciate this characteristic most. Communicating and connecting with your team shows them that their wellbeing is of interest to you.

Inspire Creative Thought

Let your team come face-to-face with new challenges and encourage them to get involved in abstract thinking. This increases employee involvement and overall company morale.

Be a Doer, Not a Watcher

Employees draw their energy levels from those in management positions. If they see the CEO slacking and not involved in the day-to-day of business problems, you could have a trust problem on hand sooner than you think.

Encourage Criticism

Encourage your team to give their feedback on general company ethics and events and even your own management style and company structure on a regular basis. This is key to making sure everyone is on the same page and that you are inspiring your team to bigger and greater achievements.

Encourage Positive Thought

We are what we think, and if you, as a leader, encourage positivity in your team, you will be able to reach the moon. Focus rather on things the team achieved and reward them for that, than complaining about last month’s failures. Employees appreciate a kind word and will thank you for it for harder work.

Do you think you are a great leader? Do you practice any of these tips already? We hope you’ve found the article insightful into becoming the best leader you can possibly be!

Health

How to Practice the Perfect Work-Life Balance in 4…

December 4, 2017December 14, 2017
by Laurie Ferguson

Running your own business can be very stressful and a full-time job. But practicing a work-life balance is key to being successful, not only at business but also at life. Burnout is also a real threat and working 24/7 could be detrimental to you and your family’s health. In this post, we take a very brief look at 4 ways you can practice a better work-life balance and improve your life in no-time.

Separate Work From Home

Even though this could be difficult when you own your own business, you should strive to never bring your work baggage with you into your home. Keeping your work life and your personal life separate is key to being able to enjoy the time you have to yourself and with loved ones.

Make Time for Yourself

Whether you go for a jog or read a bit, you need some time for yourself. Home life holds its own set of responsibilities and being able to take some time for recuperation should be included in your busy schedule.

Leave the Tech Alone

Have a time and space for you to check your emails and take business calls. You should also have a time and place where these interruptions are not allowed – such as your bedroom or your family room. Stick to this commitment and focus on what is important at the time.

Plan Downtime and Holidays in Advance

Making time for holidays is important. If you don’t commit to planning it ahead, it may never happen as there may always be something that comes up that seems more important at that particular time. Plan and commit to a holiday in advance – after all, everyone needs some complete time-off every now and then!

Did you find some of these tips helpful? What is your favorite downtime activity? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below.

Business

Business 101: How to Start Your Own Successful Business

November 29, 2017December 14, 2017
by Laurie Ferguson

Are you a budding entrepreneur but you just don’t have a clue as to where or how to begin? Maybe you are stuck in a 9-5 job, desperately looking at ways to get out and do your own thing. Whatever your current situation, starting a business can be very daunting if it’s the first time you’ve ever tried to do something like it. Luckily for you, there is quite a few of us who have done the groundwork, so you don’t have to! In this post, we look at the basic steps you should take when starting your first business.

1. Do your Homework

Whether you’ll be delivering a service or selling a product, you’ll need to do some research first. Get to know the market and if there is a need for your product. Include things like geographic and demographics when researching prospects, this will give you an idea of how far your product should go and what type of client you should approach.

2. Draw up a Business Plan

Now that you have a better idea of whether you will be able to generate an income, it is time to draw up an extensive business plan. There are plenty of resources available on the net that will give you a clear idea of what should be included in this document. Remember, if you need to take out a loan, you will have to present your business plan to the bank.

3. Make your Calculations

Finances and accounting is a very big part of running a business. Next, you’ll have to get your finances in order and design a budget for all the overheads you will need to cover in setting up and running your business.

4. Choose a Name

If you are doing it alone or with a partner and you don’t have funds to get professional ad specialists to craft a name, you’ll have to do it yourself. Pick a name that is memorable and will relate to the product and the client. Once you have something worthwhile, register it and you are good to go!

5. Market Yourself

A lot of the work will go into marketing yourself at first. You’ll need to bring yourself and your company to the attention of prospective clients. Relying on word of mouth solely will be a sure way to fail quickly – rather invest in a solid marketing strategy and spend some cash on putting your company on the map.

We hope these tips have guided you through the simple steps you need to take to kick off your first business. Remember, the first two years are crucial, if you have made it beyond that, you should be able to relax and breathe a bit easier.

Blog

Campbelltown Celebrates Santo Nino

January 19, 2015June 24, 2018
by Laurie Ferguson

The Catholic church of St John the Evangelist at Campbelltown was the scene for the annual celebration of this Cebu centred event. It is traceable to the first European arrival in the Philippines by Ferdinand Magellan and the beginning of Christianity in 1521. It is thought that Magellan, himself killed there, gave a symbol of the Child Jesus to the nation’s first convert.

Father Michael Healy supplied an interesting historical overview and the mass was followed by a range of dance and musical performances, from Tango to Sinulog and performed by groups such as the Filipino Womens Support Group and PCG Dance Group.

A feature was a meal prepared by the parishioners with pork being an appreciated feature. The raffle with umpteen prizes provided by community members was extremely popular.

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Kurdish Veterans Awards

January 19, 2015June 24, 2018
by Laurie Ferguson

I joined the Kurdish administration’s Representative Haval Syan and activist Tavga Zandy to honour peshmerga veterans of Kurdistan’s fight for an independent homeland.

Attendees remembered both Kurds and others murdered by ISIL and the victims in Paris of similar religious fascists.

Kurds have long struggled for the right to their identity, language and culture. In Iraq it involved betrayal by the Great Powers at the Treaty of Lausanne after World War I, the gassing by Saddam Hussein and dependence upon the real politik, self interest of USA. Throughout these years Kurds continued to fight and dream of a homeland.

The community has a significant presence in the Liverpool region.