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  • FiveThings to Consider While Looking for Managed Connectivity Services

    FiveThings to Consider While Looking for Managed Connectivity Services

    Technology is an ever-developing concept and it is imperative for all of us to keep up with all the innovations in the field in order to be at par with excellence. However, for businessmen, things get really tough when they need to keep a tab on everything related to the industry. Hence, instead of burdening themselves with extensive tech support requirements, discovering reputed managed connectivity service providers is always an easy way out.

    When a company opts for managed IT services, it can ensure the combination of professional services along with technological expertise which is vital to keep the company running at peak all the time. No matter what the size of your business is, you can easily discover the customized and inventive solutions to manage all your IT requirements. Such services make sure that your business does not experience downtime ever and also the technological issues of your company will be managed with much ease.

    Need for Managed Network Services

    In light of this, a number of organizations are choosing to outsource the network functions to various network service providers. It is lucrative and also increases the overall flexibility of work along with providing the businesses with a set of skills which otherwise might not be available in-house, like security, networking, and communications. Also, a company can easily devote all its IT resources to the core business works and leave the network service management task to the outsourced service provider.

    However, it is vital to choose the right kind of service provider. Here are five aspects to look into while selecting a managed connective service provider for your business:

    • Cost: Always choose the service provider that fits your budget perfectly. There are a number of managed connectivity service providers available today, so you must always look for a company which will offer you with a low and fixed pricing. The reputed ones will always assess your company first and then provide you with an agreement along with a quote defining your needs and expectations.
    • Standard: Secondly, check for the standards of network availability, security and reliability of the service provider before signing the agreement. Most of the companies will have all these mentioned in the agreement or contract. Also, the agreement should speak about the all-time availability of the service provider as a downtime can happen at any time which might cost you a lot of money. Hence, read out the agreement properly and understand everything before committing anything.
    • Connectivity: The service provider should offer you with a secure, cost-effective and high performing service. Good connectivity is essential at every phase, whether you need to connect a building with the other, join remote users to your home office or link data and voice traffic with multiple sites on one network.
    • Flexibility: A reputed managed connectivity service provider will easily change and adapt to your evolving business needs and will also match its services with your specific requirements.
    • Monitoring: The service provider should always offer you with real-time performance reporting along with complete access to the entire network monitoring through a customer web portal.

    Today, managed connectivity services are being used by nearly 70% of all the businesses worldwide. With its help, the organizations enjoy a lot of benefits as all their networks get managed by an outsourced company that allows the IT staff to concentrate on the other more important business tasks. Not only is this service a cost-effective one, it is also one of the most efficient ways of increasing business profits in today’s job market.

  • 7 Money-Generating Alternatives to Payday Loans

    7 Money-Generating Alternatives to Payday Loans

    Many financial institutions such as the government have criticized the payday loans for its higher interest rates for the borrowers. It throws a concern that this type of loans frequently targets the most vulnerable people who are in worst financial situations.

    It is not ideal for people to take payday loans because most of often than not, they become a financial loser and it causes more problems than solving them. This is why people should think of an alternative to meet the financial needs. Other options should not involve high interest rates or rather no interest at all.

    Below are a few solutions you can try if you have a tight budget and need more to meet all financial obligations:

    Get payroll advance.

    You can ask your employer for any cash advance from your bi-monthly payroll. Generally, it does not cost any fees. It is also worth noting that some companies offer low-cost loans to workers in crisis situations. Unlike payday loans, you won’t be charged interest or administration costs when you asked for payroll advance.

    Sell your things at pawnshops and online e-commerce sites.

    These are one of the best places you can legitimately get money quickly if you have something valuable you would not need for a certain amount of time. The collateral-based loans vary from different places, so the fees vary as well. So, if you have any jewellery or gadget, you may head towards the nearest pawnshop.

    In addition, you can also sell your items online. You can use eBay or Craigslist to sell off household items you do not need anymore. Post the photo and provide a description for the item, and the state the price and if there is a shipping fee.

    Apply for a freelance work/job

    If you still have spare time to work and a skill you can enhance as well, you can get a freelance job. If you’re into writing, maybe you can get a writing job online such as article spinner or trending news writer. If you’re into web design, you can also offer your creative skills to people in exchange for money. Freelance jobs these days are mostly done via online, so you will have more time to do it.

    Avail credit union loans

    Credit unions are considered as the best alternative to payday loans. Why? One is that the union offer a low interest loan. A lot of unions will definitely offer credit people that have already been refused by banks and other major money lenders. You must know that credit unions have different types and they maintain certain criteria for successful application.

    Sometimes, it is necessary to invest money in a credit union in the form of a credit-union savings account. In this way, you can benefit from their short-term loan. Just make sure that you know the criteria for application before applying to avoid any problems.

    Borrow from a friend or family member

    Friends and family members can be of help when it comes to financial needs. It may be a little tricky to borrow from them because it may end up with a broken relationship but it is better than payday loan companies. Always be serious in paying back them just like being serious with paying bills and bank finance responsibilities.

    Get an authorized overdraft.

    An authorized overdraft is described as when an individual can borrow through their bank account by allowing them to go into a negative bank balance up to a limit. Of course, it will have a charged interest or daily fee upon using the overdraft.

    However, just ensure that you have authorized your overdraft with your bank. Why? An authorized overdraft will cost higher compared to an agreed overdraft with both higher interest rates and extra fees and charges.

    Borrow funds from your savings account.

    Now, this is the easiest way to get money quickly. You can totally borrow funds from your savings account. Savings account or emergency funds will be your life saving cushion when you have a little financial trouble. If you still don’t have a savings account, start now and you’ll be thankful you did.

    Always remember that payday loan companies should be the last option. Just explore other choices and work around it to avoid further financial problems.

    About the author:

    Candice Larson is a lifestyle and tech savvy who spends time writing for her graduate studies. Currently, she is attending graduate school and works full-time.

  • Securing your business is essential for success

    Securing your business is essential for success

    If there is something that can severely affect a business then those are definitely thefts and criminal acts which, unfortunately, entrepreneurs are exposed to at all times. Therefore, some preventive measures are in order if you want to protect all your hard work.

    Choose reliable staff

    Optimize your selection processes and human resources and hire people lacking in financial troubles, which may reduce the possibility of temptations within your organization. The socio-economic studies are reliable and help especially when the contracts are for positions where workers have to handle money.

    Establish mechanisms for identification

    Provide your employees with photo badges, identity codes, keys and customized systems to establish who is responsible for what happens within the company as well as the times of entry and exit of each person. This may sound cumbersome but necessary in order to demand accountability at all times.

    Implement audit mechanisms

    A simple but effective audit is to check regularly at random and surprise your staff to see if all the responsibilities are met orderly. You can ask them to show you important documents such as receipts and invoices. This control lets you detect any suspicious or abnormal actions and take preventive measures before an event occurs.

    Hide the information

    Information is one of the most important assets of your company business. Do not let anyone be open to all kinds of data such as customer lists, products, inventory and access prices. Be twice as strict with financial and banking information. Selectiveness in these situations is necessary, so allow only few people you can trust to have an access to all the data.

    Use formal monitoring mechanisms

    Many businesses, in an effort to cut costs, use informal mechanisms that are often entirely at the discretion of employees, promoting the possibility of altering the billing systems and under reporting of the real situation. A good investment that will help you have more control is to invest in automated control systems such as cash registers, software systems and warehouse inventories.

    Train your personnel against criminal events

    It never hurts to pay a security company to train your staff on how to act in case of critical situations or prevent possible attacks and robberies, kidnappings and assaults. A better-trained employee can make good moves and reduce losses in such situations.

    Protect your vehicles with satellite systems

    One of the best ways to reduce attacks against your goods transported by vehicles is installing satellite tracking systems. These are not only very effective on the issue of location but also make criminals leave before attacking the vehicles. The costs of these systems are not low but they have a tendency to become increasingly accessible. And make sure that you have a very visible sticker that says ‘Truck protected by satellite system’.

    Invest in computer security

    The security of systems is becoming increasingly important as many frauds can be perpetrated from the (internal or external) network. Implementation of certain minimum actions such as acquiring a good firewall, antivirus or regular password changes as well as making backups reduce the chances of risk.

    Consider automatic monitoring systems

    If your budget allows it or need demands it, you can install a system of surveillance cameras that allow you to monitor both the movements of customers in your store and the actions of your employees within the company. Some systems can be very functional with one or two cameras and there are even systems that allow remote security monitoring, either from home or any other organization.

    Invest in safety

    Another useful alternative, if your business is located in a high risk area, is the acquisition of insurance. Insurance can be much less expensive than what you think and be very useful when recovering your assets. Consider insurance against theft, fire or total or partial destruction of your property.

    Reinforce security in your store or office

    Think strategically – protection means identifying possible points where an offender may try to access your site. In that sense, reinforce your main doors and windows with access to the street with stronger materials or safer locks.

    Install infrared automatic lights

    The infrared security lights placed in hallways, courtyards and offices can be very useful to ward off intruders. These systems can be achieved even in the supermarkets; they are inexpensive and will not take more than 30 minutes to install.

    Safety limits are defined by the budget only. Hiring security guards, patrols, shelter systems, cash transfers and other more sophisticated and expensive measures are always good if your investment capacity and the size of your business allow it.

  • Top 5 Types Internet Businesses You Can Start

    Top 5 Types Internet Businesses You Can Start

    Australian Bureau of Statistics conducted a research in 2014, and concluded that most businesses that were active and at that time are actually operated from home (8165.0 – Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits, Jun 2010 to Jun 2014) This number was on the rise. The best and the most lucrative way to conduct a business from home is to set up an online business. Here are some of the best options for your first online startup. These are just some of the ideas from the vast variety of options that you can use. image 5

    IT Services

    People who want to start the Internet Business usually have more than solid knowledge about IT. Therefore, perhaps you do not have to go much further when you choose your niche and simply offer your IT services. You can offer to make software and apps or repair and maintain the existing ones. You can create and maintain networks in companies and offer to be the outsourced or freelancer “IT guy” for those companies that do not want or need to have somebody like that employed full time.

    SEO and Marketing Services

    The fact that a lot of internet businesses have their presence makes good news for you. That means that all those online businesses need marketing services and a good boost of their websites. Being a SEO expert and a marketing expert, you should not have any problems advertising yourself as the best solution for this issue. It takes a lot of practice and a lot of hard work to do good SEO. The rules change all the time and one method is replaced by another from one week to another. Therefore, to keep afloat, you will need to be very diligent about your work and to follow trends at all times.

    Consulting Services

    This is a great idea for those that are experts in a field and have the need to help others, as well. For example, there a lot of businesses that haimage 2ve their own production, but they want to become more environmentally friendly. The job of a consultant would be to revise the processes and to find ways to reduce the carbon footprint, enhance sustainability and reduce unnecessary energy wasting and other costs. This is just one of the things that you can consult about. Some of the successful consulting services even create online courses to boost their business.

    Affiliate Marketing

    This business can be very lucrative if you are good at recommending things or you have a website that has a lot of traffic. The whole idea is to recommend a business, your affiliate partner, and make sure that the clients and customers buy their products and services by following your lead. When they do that, the affiliate partner shares their revenue with you. There are thousands of possible affiliate partners out there, so make sure that you are making the right choice. There are many courses online that can introduce you to the most successful ways of doing affiliate marketing. Do your homework before you start your business because that is how you will succeed.

    Selling Products

    The last, but not the least, you can sell the product that you make online. This usually means that you will not be able to do the entire thing online and you will have to have some sort of facilities at home. While selling the product online means that you do not have to have a real store, you definitely need to have a proper office at your home. This means that you need some good office furniture that matches the style of your home. This is important, as, in time, your business will grow and you will have to meet your investors or clients. Not having an office may seem very unprofessional.

    The Internet and the online trading have revolutionized business. It seems like it has never been this easy to start earning money online. You can provide services, offer your product or take part on other online marketing activities that can earn you a nice profit. It will take some work and you will have to invest some time, money and knowledge, but if you play your cards right, it will definitely pay off.

  • Once-In-A-Lifetime Trips – Here’s How To Afford Them

    Once-In-A-Lifetime Trips – Here’s How To Afford Them

    As Dailymailreports, in a recent Reddit thread, thousands of anonymous airline and airport employees have revealed some of the most shocking and entertaining secrets about their profession. Did you know that the headsets offered to you by the airline are not brand new, despite being wrapped up? One user reveals that they are merely cleaned and re-packaged. Another user advised everyone to skip out on the coffee, because the containers are not cleaned regularly. In addition, if you are a frequent traveler, you should note that the cheapest time to buy a plane ticket is Thursday afternoon, and the cheapest time to fly is Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday.

    If you have “itchy feet”, chances are that the expenses are your number one concern. Yes, there is such a thing as economical traveling, however, after adding up the traveling rates, daily costs and lodging; even the low cost trips will have a great impact on your bank account. So, what are the things you have to do to keep up with your traveling spirit and be cost-effective? Well, here are some of the ways you can satisfy your “itch” on a limited budget without skipping on your rent:

    Specify your travel goals

    Even if you are ready to depart on the next available flight, try to focus that excitement into one travel goal at a time. This does not mean that you should restrict yourself from dreaming about multiple traveling goals, but it will help you plan the best direct path to your goal without diverting your money or attention elsewhere. Unless you have a flexible work schedule, your best bet in budget travel is to choose one travel goal and stick to it. So don’t plan on visiting Thailand, plan on visiting one particular region, focus on one place, or more, but maintain your focus at all cost.

    Calculate your travel expenses

    Once you set your goal, you have to consider the complete costs of your trip. Therefore, consider all your expenses because a trip is made up of much more than just an airfare. Calculating each specific expense can give you the most honest estimation of what is within your means. There are plenty of travel budget calculators available on the internet to help you compile the costs. In addition, if you are looking for good early bird deals and fixed exchange rates you should consider using Travel Pay.

    Timeline your trip

    Ever noticed how some people make the toughest trips seem like a casual walk in the park? Nine out of ten times, these folks time lined their journey before they even started packing. The timeline of your trip can be the deciding factor in your budget, in what you need to pack and how to choose the best method for managing your financial goals. If you have problems making a perfect itinerary, there are plenty of mobile apps and websites that allow travelers to build great trip timelines and share them with their loved ones and their closest friends.

    Most of the people have limited vacation time and resources. This is why the great majority of us plan our trips months in advance. My final recommendation for restless adventures would be to check out locations closer to your place of residence. Establish a schedule and have a few thrilling trips and sightseeing walks between your big trips. And when you are traveling big, make the best of it. On a reasonable way.

  • How to Improve Your Startup Business With Good Marketing

    How to Improve Your Startup Business With Good Marketing

    Starting a business means that you have to deal with a lot of challenges in order to climb the corporate ladder. Getting out of the small business label might take a while, and you will have to heavily invest in marketing to happen. Without advertising and promotion your company, you cannot expect customers to recognize your brand.

    Market Online and Offline

    Nowadays, you will be able to market online and offline as well, meaning that you can utilize what the Internet has to offer. Make sure to use this to your advantage, because it will not cost you a lot, but you could have an amazing outreach. Furthermore, you will have a chance to really get creative and innovative, making the marketing campaigns fun and interesting.

    Define Your Target Audience

    Unless you understand and know your target audience, it will be hard coming up with marketing ideas which will attract more. Be sure to research and to find out what they like, what the current trends are and how you can make use of it. Not every consumer will be the same, and you should account for the fact that your marketing campaign should be for a wider viewing angle. Otherwise you will not be able to engage with customers as you expected.

    Set Bite-Size Objectives

    In order not to go off-track and to stay focused on what is important, you will have to set objectives and make sure that you can follow through. Promotional events will be there to remind customers what you are working on currently, and what they can expect, as well as to keep you on the right path. Avoid losing battles, as you will be squandering precious resources on it only, and it can end up badly. Moreover, achieving goals will make your employees feel better and more satisfied.

    Understand Your Business

    Be clear with what your strength and weaknesses are, because only then can you start working on improving yourself. Moreover, your marketing strategies cannot be set if you are unsure which qualities you can promote. By doing a SWOT analysis you can find out what makes your business tick, as well as to see where you have to make minor improvements. To appeal to the public, this will be a crucial part of self-assessment.

    Promotional Events Are Mandatory If You Want Better Results

    To have a good outreach, and to maximize your marketing’s effects, look into what kind of promotional events you can hold. Furthermore, gifting promo items and personalised water bottles will be a good way to spread the word about your business, and to attract more customers. It will be easy for your customers to use these gifts in places where others can see them, and if you have printed your logo and brand, they will recognize your business right away. Bear in mind that customers will like to receive gifts, showing them that you care and that you will make sure they are happy and satisfied.

    Transforming your business from a simple startup to a famous big shot will take time and lots of effort. On the other hand, your marketing strategy and campaign should reflect what your business stands for and how it can reach a wider target audience to grab the attention of customers. No matter how you try to understand consumers, it will be nearly impossible, which is why you need to focus on feedback and finding out what they like. In the end, make sure you have daring but not daunting campaigns, and customers will come pouring in.