7 Cleaning Habits to Keep Your Home Always Neat and Tidy

Keeping up with your everyday housekeeping needs can be daunting and time-consuming. But professional cleaners and maid services providers say that keeping your house clean and tidy does not have to take up all your time.

It is all about starting some good habits that you eventually get to follow instinctively. The more habituated you become, the easier it will be to maintain your home.

Here are seven habits you can adopt to help keep your home clean and orderly all the time.

  1. Make your bed daily

People think that making their bed every day is a waste of time. But this makes a huge difference in keeping your bedroom neat and orderly, and it will only take a couple of minutes of your time.

To make things a lot easier, simplify your bedding. For instance, cut out your top sheets and just use a washable cover and a duvet. But if you love top sheets, you can use a large enough duvet or comforter that you do not need to tuck in the sheets, and minimize the number of your pillows.

  1. Prioritize accordingly

All cleaning is not created equal. Create a list of the things you like to get done and prioritize what must be completed today, and what can wait until the next day or what can be done on a weekly basis.

Stick with the things you must do right away before trying to do the other things on your list. For example, you can’t leave dirty dishes in the sink overnight, nor should you postpone cleaning off the mess in your oven. But cleaning the bathtub or places like the attic or garage can wait.

  1. Involve the whole family

It seems a lot easier to do the cleaning job yourself, but spending a significant amount of time teaching your children to perform age-appropriate jobs is important for the both of you. With them, you get extra hands to help, and they learn to perform small tasks and develop a concern for cleanliness and responsibility.

Begin by having your kids put their shoes and coats away if they come in the house, clean their own rooms, and put the dishes in the dishwasher. As they are able, you can ask them to do more tasks.

Getting your family involved will make a huge difference in making your home clean and tidy when these simple things are done. Your kids may need supervision for the first several weeks, but cleaning up will become a habit eventually.

  1. Declutter

Taking some time to declutter and organize your home will help cut down the time needed to clean. Fewer items on the surface tops and counters will cut down on dusting, and make cleaning faster and much easier.

  1. Dust and vacuum regularly

By dusting and vacuuming once or twice a week, your house will stay cleaner. This will also help you save time since you do not have to do a major cleanup every time you want to tidy up in your house.

  1. Wipe surfaces after each use

Whether you just cooked a meal, made a sandwich, brushed your teeth or put on your makeup, make sure to wipe down the surface you just used. This task will only take a few seconds and will keep the area clean and ready to be used again.

Remember that when you let dust, grime and grease build-up over time, it will be harder to clean up some surfaces.

  1. Get some help

If you are time-crunched and you want to spend some time with your family, it is time for you to enlist the services of a professional. There are professional cleaning service providers ready to tackle your cleaning requirements.

Professional cleaners can perform routine cleaning. This service includes making beds, the thorough cleaning of kitchens and bathrooms, dusting all surfaces, and mopping. You have the option to limit the service to some areas or rooms as well.

But if your house has not been cleaned for quite a long time, you may need some sort of deep cleaning service. Depending on your budget and needs, you can arrange for professional cleaners to come weekly, monthly, twice a month, or some other variation.

A professional cleaning service may not be for everyone, but when chores are already a major source of stress, or have become too time-consuming, spending a little extra money will go a long way. And if you don’t want to keep hired help all the time, just maintain the cleanliness they have achieved for you.

Just like becoming successful in other parts of your life, keeping a well-maintained home boils down to your daily habits. If cleaning is done regularly, your home will always be in great condition.

AUTHOR BIO

Rania Bellos launched Dust Busters Cleaning Services with the help and support of her husband after spending 15 years working in the banking and finance industry in France, Lebanon and the UAE. She welcomes the daily challenges and exciting opportunities provided by the highly competitive residential and commercial cleaning services market.

 

3 Ways to Use The Goal Book to Help You Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions

The New Year is almost here and most people are already making new resolutions. There are those who want to lose weight, get better jobs, start a relationship or a business and workout in the gym among many other resolutions. Making resolutions is pretty simple. It’s the commitment to them that gets tough. Most people stick to their resolutions within the first two or three months of the year and then lose focus by the sixth month. Below are tried and tested ways of remaining committed to your resolutions.

  1. Break Your Goals into Small Milestones

Big goals are not easy to manage. In fact, they can leave you devastated. You should, therefore, look for ways of slashing your goal into small manageable milestones. Small goals are actually more realistic. Besides that, they still contribute to the main goal. For instance, if you want to lose weight, you should have a figure in mind so that you can know exactly how many pounds you need to drop. You should then do the math to see how many pounds you need to shed every month.

Moreover, you need to factor in on your diet. This is because you will lose weight fast when indulge in a balanced diet. And that’s not all. You have to sacrifice some of your time for training in the gym. This is because working out will help you burn extra calories. In this scenario, one goal has been broken down into three sub goals. This is just an example of what you can do to make achieving your resolutions much easier. At the end of the day, all the small goals are dependent on each other. For instance, if you don’t succeed in eating well, you will still not lose weight.

  1. Persist

Keeping New Year resolutions is not a walk in the park. This is because you will fail many times. Most people tend to give up after going through several hurdles. And perhaps that’s why savvy entrepreneurs use The Goal Book to complete their goals.  When you are on the verge of throwing in the towel, just remember that it’s overcoming failure that will make achieving your goal meaningful. You can encourage yourself by reviewing the milestones that you accomplished in the last few years. This will help you figure out that you are still the same person. If you have a partner, that’s even better because you can compare notes and encourage each other.

  1. Embrace Change

Resisting change can transform you into a stumbling block. You can not achieve anything without embracing change. Adopting change will make you start seeing things differently. That way, you will able to know why you have been failing in accomplishing your resolutions. In fact, there are times when your strategy may not earn you anything. At such a time, you need to go back to the drawing board and look for another strategy.

But this doesn’t mean that you have to abandon your resolution. No. You are only going to use another strategy to achieve the same goal. For instance, if you want to make more money by selling crossbows, you might opt to sell your merchandise at reduced prices. But if this doesn’t yield anything close to what you expected, you can try selling your crossbows at market price but include free arrows in the package. At the end of the day, customers will prefer to buy crossbows from your store because they will not need to budget for arrows.

3 Tips to calculating employee hours around the holidays

holidays and employees

As a business owner, you are required by law to provide workers with a specified amount of leave over the course of a year and to pay them accordingly. All of your employees are also entitled to holiday pays which are based on their current wage rates. Computing for an employee’s entitlement to annual leaves and holidays is not that complicated if one has a fixed salary rate and is working for the same number of hours for each day. Calculating their salary gets a little more complicated if an employee does overtime work, completes a variable number of hours each day, and receives bonuses and commissions on top of their regular wages.

If you are still confused about how to calculate an employee’s holiday pay, then the concise guide below should help you out. Check out these three tips for calculating your employee’s entitlement around the holidays and get the job the done faster and easier.

 

  1. Calculate holiday entitlements based on the daily number of hours worked.

As stated before, employees who are paid at a fixed rate and are working for the same number of hours for each week shall receive the same wage amount for the holidays. So for example, you are working for forty hours a week at a rate of $10 per hour, you will be getting $400 for a week of holiday.

Calculating holiday pay for zero hours contracts will be a slightly different. Zero-hour contracts are those contracts where an employer is not required to provide a minimum amount of working hours and the employee can either accept or reject the offer. The average number of hours worked and the average hourly pay for the past 12 weeks will be used for the computation. A week’s worth of holiday is equal to the average number of hours worked per week multiplied by the average hourly rate. If an employee skips a week of work, then the reference period will be adjusted back to a week where an employee has completed a certain number of working hours.

 

  1. Know how overtime hours are incorporated into holiday pay computations.

There are three types of overtime: ‘guaranteed’ wherein the employer is required to offer and the employee is required to accept, ‘non-guaranteed’ wherein the employer is not required to offer but the employee is required to accept if extra hours are offered, and ‘voluntary’ overtime wherein both parties have no obligation. The first and second types constitute a portion of an employee’s regular working pattern and must be included in the holiday pay. Regarding ‘voluntary’ type, the guidelines set by the law is unclear; and as long as no new instructions have been released on this type, employers are not required to include overtime pay to the holiday pay.

 

  1. Learn how commissions and bonuses are applied to holiday pays.

Commissions and bonuses are required by the Tribunal to be included into the holiday pay. These are basically based on the performance, productivity, and amount of sales that an employee achieves over a certain period of time. The reference period depends on the employer’s decision but it should be based mainly on how often bonuses are paid to the employees.

The top 3 things to look for in a company that can install replacement tracks on your equipment

track repairs

If you are an equipment owner, then you know how important it is to have a reliable parts partner. That’s because, equipment needs to be at work for them to generate income, and any delays in parts replacement would be a loss of income. That’s especially the case with equipment tracks, which can cripple your operations if you need to replace them. To protect yourself from delays and faulty replacements, let’s go through 3 things you need to look for in a company that can install replacement tracks on your equipment.

 

  1. Their product return policy

Equipment tracks don’t come cheap. That’s why you need to look for a company that allows you to return the tracks if they don’t fit or are faulty. Some of the best equipment companies like Fortis Replacement Tracks allow you to return the tracks provided they are returned within a reasonable period, and are in the original packaging.  A good product return policy gives you a safety net in case you buy equipment replacement tracks, and they are not good enough. On top of that, a good return policy gives you a quality assurance guarantee. That’s because, if a company is willing to take back its tracks, then there is a good chance that they believe in their quality. It also points to a company that has good customer relations management, and that’s definitely a company you can partner with and succeed in your business.

 

  1. Average shipping time

For maximum efficiency in your business, you need to go for a tracks replacement company that has short delivery times. That’s because, any delays in delivery would mean that your equipment will have to stay grounded for longer. This can be especially catastrophic if you hire out your track equipment on an hourly basis. Besides, fast shipping says a lot about the management of the equipment track replacement company you are engaging with. The faster the shipping times, the higher the chances that it is a well-managed company with good investments in logistical operations. This can give you confidence that such a company is also good in other aspects of its operations such as product quality as well as customer relations management, both of which are important for you to succeed in your equipment business.

 

  1. Their refund policy

This is one of the imperative things to look out for in an equipment tracks replacement company. It would be ruinous to engage a company that does not offer refunds. That’s because, equipment tracks are expensive and at one point or the other, you may need to cancel an order for a variety of reasons. You need to engage a company that allows you to cancel your orders without punishing you for it.  A company that allows you to cancel orders for a full refund also speaks volumes about their financial standing, as well as their strong emphasis on customer relationships above all else. That’s the kind of partner you need as you look to grow your business.

The top 3 tips to renting a great office space in Seattle

seattle

You could be in the early stages of planning to start your business or maybe you are looking for a new place for your company. Maybe you are in need of office space and you do not know where to begin. Well, it is not always easy to settle for the first time. If you are looking to rent great office space in Seattle, there are a number of things that you have to consider. Before you sign the lease for your new office space in Seattle, here are 3 top tips that you need to consider:

 

  1. Seek the Help of Tenant Brokers

A tenant-broker is a very crucial person to contact during your office space lease. The office for rent seattle tenant brokers will provide you with the sound analysis of office locations, availability of offices to rent as well as be in a position to negotiate with the landlord. The tenant-broker is a professional who knows what is to be done when you are seeking office space.

We have heard of a number of horror stories of tenants who bypassed the experts and signed an office lease agreement only to find terrible things about the office. You do not want to go this route. If you are a startup, this process could be more complicated than you thought. It is better to pay the tenant brokers to smoothen the office search process for you. They know the best landlords, the “hidden costs” that are included in the commercial lease and all the terms and conditions to be agreed upon signing the office lease. With a professional consultant, you can be sure your office search and lease process in Seattle will be a walk in the park!

 

  1. Your Budget

You need to beware of the costs involved in renting space. The monthly rent payment is not the only cost that you will incur. You need to consider other expenses such as internet charges and electricity provision, furniture, office equipment and even security costs. Depending on the kind of work you will be doing in the office, the cost of running it could sour with time.  This calls for you to find a suitable way to control these expenditures, especially if your business is new.

You could consider leasing furniture and office equipment. One of the advantages of leasing office equipment and furniture as opposed to buying is that you will easily obtain financing. It is also better to lease so that when this equipment becomes obsolete in the long run, you won’t have to worry about it.  

 

  1. Convenience for Your Employees and Your Clients

You may also need to think about the accessibility of your office. How convenient is it for your employees and your clients? For small businesses, renting an office in a commercial center would make it easy for you to find employees. It would also be much more convenient for your clients to access an office in the commercial center as opposed to offices in the outskirts of the city.

As such, the proximity of your Seattle office should be a very important factor to consider. Ease of access will make your work enjoyable and your clients and employees would be happier with the right location of the office.

 

The top 3 benefits of trading with a great company in Australia

More and more people are now becoming aware of the uncertainties that may arise in the future, especially when it comes to their finances. That is why most of them are already seeking possible opportunities to secure their assets and to be more financially stable in the long-term. Expanding their capital in self-managed businesses could be a great way to make profits grow, but the tasks can be very demanding, stressful, and moderately risky even with careful planning. Putting your money in the bank may be a less risky strategy but the progress will be much slower compared to increasing your business’ capital.

Since the development of electronic trading, private individuals have played a larger role in the global market even with their limited capitals and amateur experience in trading. Compared to investors who only rely on a market uptrend, active traders can generate profits regardless of the direction of the market and how much of their money are they willing to risk.

If you are looking for a highly competent country to invest your money, Australia should be on the top of your list. With its strong population growth, high mineral reserves, low unemployment rate, low inflation rate, and steady economic growth, Australia remains to be one of the top performing nations in the world and in its region. Additionally, the country’s sound fiscal management and close economic ties to the fast-growing Asian region makes it a more competitive market to secure your investments.

Learn more about the top three benefits of trading in Australia and start your journey to financial success right now.

 

  1. You have more flexibility.

One advantage of trading in Australia is that you have full control over your investments. You can either hire an experienced stockbroker or avail of online broker services within just a few clicks. You have a freedom to start with a small investment on your chosen market or spread your capital across different sectors. It will not be a problem if you decide to change your trading strategy too as you will not be tied to any fixed terms wherein you might incur penalty charges for an early exit.

There is also a sufficient supply of market information available to traders including Australia 200 and SPI Futures Live, making it easier for them to monitor their investments real-time.

 

  1. You can save more and earn more.

Because of the lower taxation rates on long-term capital earnings and small broker costs, you can save more money and maximize your gains. You can take advantage of imputation credits and legitimate tax planning too. With a larger amount of capital, the proportion of fixed brokerage charge with respect to the trade size is greatly reduced.

 

  1. You are more secured.

Aside from long-term capital growth, you are also more secure in times of emergencies when you choose to trade in Australia. Because most of the shares are classified as liquid assets, you can instantly sell your shares and withdraw your cash even with short notice. Interest earnings from personal involvement and passive income from shares also make trading in Australia a sufficient replacement to work, especially for retirees.

Creating the Perfect Home Office

One in five Americans work from home; needless to say, a home office is becoming the preferred choice of many entrepreneurs. Since much of almost any business can be done online, there seems little point commuting to the city center for work. Instead, you can use Skype for meetings and submit all payments and paperwork electronically. There are tips for finding an office location if you wish to bring a team together, but if you can do much of your work alone, here’s how to create the perfect home office.

 

The Room

Let’s face it, you can’t get anything done from your bed. While you can theoretically do everything you need to without getting up and getting dressed, in reality your productivity would plummet.

There is a reason we use offices. They create a mindset conducive to work. So find a room in your house to dedicate to business. This room should be as soundproof as possible, to allow your mind to focus on the work at hand.

Also, aim for a room with a large window and a nice view. Taking breaks to look out of the window reduces strain on the eyes, limiting fatigue. A pleasant, natural view will also help you maintain calmness, even during stressful periods.

 

The Desk

The setup of your desk is vital for productivity. Anything you can do to reduce strain and discomfort will increase the speed and duration of work. Many people choose to have both a standing and a sitting desk, so that you can switch between the two.

Whether you are stood up or sat down, your arms should be parallel to the computer keyboard, with your feet flat on the floor. Ideally, use an adjustable chair so that you can get the perfect height for you and ensure that this chair is comfortable enough and with adequate back support.

Organizations such as Global Resources LLC are trained to come into your workspace, and give you tips to improve your business finances. Using outside experts in this way can help you identify areas in which your workstation is lacking.

If you are lucky enough to have complete control over your work environment, then you can use it to your advantage. By creating a space which aids productivity, you are giving yourself a slight advantage over competitors. So find a room, desk and chair that serves your business and increases productive output.

The top 4 promotional products to take to your next trade show

Trade Shows

Joining trade shows and exhibits is a great opportunity for owners of small companies to increase the exposure of their brand to the consumers and to potential business partners as well. While these events are organized for entrepreneurs to market their businesses and, of course, to exchange ideas with other people, it cannot be helped that some people still get anxious during the preparation stage. Aside from setting up the essential equipment and supplies, planning on smart booth designs, dressing up to appear more presentable, and rehearsing your lines, it is also necessary for you to invest on promotional items and freebies for the trade show.

Contrary to popular belief, having giveaways during a trade show is not an outdated practice yet – at least for now. The problem with other companies is that they tend to give promotional items which have become less and less remarkable through time. These giveaways include pens, notepads, mugs, and fans. Since they are already considered as common freebies, they tend to lose their ability to promote your brand effectively.

To help your company stand out at the next trade show, here are the top four promotional items that you should have. Consider them as giveaways, and you can surely attract potential clients, increase customer retention, and impress other business owners in the trade show.

 

  1. Sports Water Bottles

Sports water bottles are great promotional items whether or not you are marketing a sports-related brand or a beverage company. These liquid containers can help keep trade show participants hydrated throughout the event. You can also set-up a refreshments station and provide free water or iced tea if you want to attract more people to drop by your booth.

 

  1. Keystand

A keystand is an upgrade version of the usual keychain giveaway. It combines a key ring and a mobile device stand in one. It can be used to view videos on smartphones and tablets with greater convenience. You can have your company logo printed on one side and the slogan on the other to ensure better brand retention to the consumers.

 

  1. Calendars and Planners

Believe it or not, calendars are still considered as effective trade show giveaways until now. Wallet-sized ones may not be an ideal option as large hang-type calendars are easier to read and use inside homes and business establishments. You can also upgrade them to handy planners for a more professional look.

 

  1. USB Charger

If you have a bigger budget, then you can have power banks and USB chargers for mobile devices as giveaway items. You may choose wide-sized plugs which offer more space for your company logo to be printed. You can choose from a variety of types including wall adaptors, car chargers, and cable sets for less than $5 each.

For your next trade show event, iPromo can help you conceptualize and produce high-quality and well-designed promotional items without breaking the bank. With their almost two-decade experience in the industry, iPromo has helped more than 40,000 customers globally to increase their marketing potential. Never settle for less and trust only the one with a proven track record. Visit iPromo now, check their full range of promotional products and get that defining edge on your next trade show.

The top 5 things to look for in a service agreement when hiring professional IT Services

When purchasing any product or hiring a certain service, a Service Agreement is important to clearly understand the limitations and restrictions of a certain service. If you are a business looking to hire a professional IT services for your company, you should be aware of the specific IT solutions that they can offer for your business, and what they will give in return if those terms are not met during the agreement.

Here are the top five things you need to look for in a service agreement when hiring professional IT services.

  1. Provides fast and efficient customer support.

If any issues or problems arise on the customer’s’ side, it is important that they can easily reach Customer Support as soon as possible. Determine the parameters stated by the IT service providers. For instance, if they state in their service agreement that their customer support can be reached by customers in less than 30 minutes, but unable to deliver this, know beforehand what their promises are or if they will pay for the lost hours. The best IT services in Bristol provide great customer service and can be easily reached by calling.

  1. Provides remote and onsite support.

Certain circumstances such as intermittent or total disruption of service require an immediate response from an IT professional. Know if they provide immediate remote support and if in any case the server shuts down, know the time frame they promise for onsite support. There are critical agreements that you should look for prior to hiring an IT service provider.

  1. Determine if they provide product warranties.

Most service providers provide a warranty on the products they sell, and like many others, there is a specific time frame on when it usually begins and expires. This is one of the most important things to look for in a service agreement prior to hiring a professional IT service provider. Determine the type of coverage they provide on their warranty and if they provide replacement on the hardware and other tools you have used during the agreement.

  1. Know the payment terms.

Like all other business, a proper payment term is necessary so that both parties will properly be compensated for the services rendered. There should be a clear communication on how a payment is expected and other conditions such as the preferred payment method, terms for early payments, and the repercussions for late payments.

  1. Determine their performance consistency.

Network speed and availability is what usually what you need in your business among others. You may be running a lot of applications for your business, and while they do not require high performance all the time, there should be a consistency of the performance for smooth operation in your business. Look out in your service agreement on how the IT service provider supplies their performance in case emergency arise. These are inevitable scenarios and know their commitment beforehand. This should be one of the major deciding factors when choosing professional IT services.

3 Ways renting a translation headset can help your company

It is hard to run a business well if you do not have proper communication procedures set in stone for your company. Communication is imperative to being successful as it is a key factor in making your business run. Many companies are choosing to save money by outsourcing their logistics or customer service offerings to overseas entities. This can save a great deal of money but can decrease overall customer satisfaction as many complain that the level of service has dropped off. One of the main reasons for this is that customer service agents may have a thick accent, may not speak english, or perhaps they do not understand what the caller is trying to convey. This article will provide some information on how renting translation headsets for employees can help your company.

 

  • Cultural accuracy. Those who are certified in translation services will also be aware of cultural differences that may also come up when handling matters pertaining to your company. Renting a translation headset can help the reliable and reputable employees that you currently have on staff, understand what a potential client is asking for. In addition, they will be able to put into place certain cultural significant points that an employee without such tools and resources would be able to handle.

 

 

  • Consistent communication. As with any business model, communication is imperative to being successful. Consistency in your communication strategy with employees, clients, and potential clients is important and must be followed stringently. When there is miscommunication, this can lead to misunderstandings or worse, mistakes that are hard to overcome. If you outsource your logistics or customer service agents to other areas of hte world, it is important that you are able to communicate with them. A translation headset can help you accomplish this goal with limited effort on your part.

 

 

  • Quality information. When conducting business, it is important that you provide your clients and potential clients with quality information. It is bad business to provide information that is not factual and can cause confusion. If your clients speak a different language, it is important that you not only attempt to learn the language but also the culture. This will help you in being relatable to the client and will allow you to better understand your needs. While you are in the process of learning a new language and culture, a translation headset can help you get by. In many instances, you will be able to provide quality, reliable information with the use of a translation headset.

 

Whether you are outsourcing aspects of your company, communicating with key stakeholders, or relaying information to interested parties, a translation headset can help you a great deal when speaking with those who are not native to your language. Communication is imperative to running a successful business so investing in tools to help you be successful is a good business practice.