Business : Testing, Certification & Business Tools News

5 Tips to Choose the Best UX Design Agency for Startup

The business value of design is on the rise in the customer-centric age. Regardless of market share or industry, user experience (UX) design is becoming a major competitive differentiator, as customers are more likely to switch brands or leave purchases unfinished if they don’t enjoy an online or in-app experience. 

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7 Essential Areas of Maintenance for Businesses

If you have a commercial property or multiple residential units, you are definitely going to spend a significant amount of money on the upkeep and maintenance of your property. Similarly, whether you have a startup or a large-scale corporation, maintenance is one of the most critical aspects of your business.

Read More »

Kite Packaging have brought to market their new range of reusable, recyclable and biodegradable shredded paper

The employee-owned business has recently added a wide range of innovative solutions to their ecommerce offering providing customers with sustainable alternatives, their latest one being shredded paper. Kite’s reusable, recyclable and biodegradable FSC and PEFC certified shredded paper is the perfect sustainable void fill solution for not only protecting items

Read More »

5 Ways To Improve Your Construction Process

Construction project managers can have a hard time on their hands with the sheer amount of variables and tasks they have to handle within any single project. The budget, the schedule, and change orders all have the potential to tie up and undermine the project, especially if a change in

Read More »

5 Ways To Improve Your Construction Process

Construction project managers can have a hard time on their hands with the sheer amount of variables and tasks they have to handle within any single project. The budget, the schedule, and change orders all have the potential to tie up and undermine the project, especially if a change in

Read More »

4 Critical Steps for Staying on Top of Your SME’s TaxesPost

Owners of small and medium-sized enterprises know how important it is to budget carefully. Without the safety net of a huge savings account or lots of high-dollar investments, business owners must monitor their cash flow scrupulously. If you’re just starting your SME, you understand how critical following your budget is

Read More »

3 Ways to Empower Your Teams to Be More Productive

Having a good team on board will transform your business as you will receive better results. More than likely you will need to do certain things to ensure that knowledge and morale is high so everything runs smoothly. Once you have a stronger team you will notice your productivity levels

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Latest Issue
Issue 326 : Mar 2025

Business : Testing, Certification & Business Tools News

How to Start a Business if you Don’t Have Very Good Finances

If you want to start a business, then you will have probably spent quite some time trying to work through your ideas. You’ve also probably thought of having a distant aunt who could leave you a fortune so that you can get a jump-start. This isn’t likely, so you have to make sure that you think about realistic ways you can start a business if you don’t have any money. If you want to find out more, simply take a look below. Test out the Market You have to make sure that whatever you produce, you provide a good service. You need to find out what the market wants and you also need to do your research on social media too. If you make a bad product then you may find that you end up suffering in terms of your reputation and this is the last thing that you need. Test the market and also find out if you can do anything to try and perfect your idea. If you can do this, then you will soon find that things work in your favour much more than you realise. Get a Good Business Plan If you want to gain funding from anyone who is not your friends and family, you have to make sure that you have a good business plan. If you intend to keep the cost low, then you can write it yourself. If you want a good result, then don’t be afraid to ask someone else to do it for you. They will usually be more than happy to if you are willing to pay them a fee. Focusing on the numbers and being modest overall in the regards to the projected sales will help any potential investors to see how your business is going to grow. It will also help you to create a great deal of profit in the future. If you need some help searching for a loan then there are providers out there who can help. Swedish Prekredit is just one example. Get some Funding If you know that you need to get funding from somewhere else then remember that there are numerous ways that you can get it. In general, the most traditional route you can take would be for you to head to the bank so you can get a loan. The issue here is that you can get into lots of debt by doing this. Don’t buy everything at once by using your credit card. Instead, try and use the company revenue you have to finance a lot of your expenses. Try and use a crowdfunding platform if you can as this will allow the public to fund your idea. They can fund everything anonymously if they believe that it is going to work and this is all done in exchange for a reward. You can also take some pre-orders through the platform if you want as well so it is vital that you keep this in mind. Know what your Strengths Are If you want to generate a good amount of cash flow then you’ll be glad to know that it is very affordable for you to set up a service-oriented business. If you provide a service that you are fully aware people need, then you can easily use it to collect your funds. The funds can then be built up and you can use it to generate a good amount of cash flow to generate a second business if you want. Your second business might well be product-based. Try something simple, like selling stock photography or even by investing in tutoring. Barter Starting a company without having access to a laptop or even the internet is difficult to say the least. It may be that you need to barter for things that you cannot normally afford. It’s worth noting that there are some competitions that your company can invest in and this will help you to succeed overall. It’s also possible for you to look into prize draws as you never know when you are going to come out with a win. Access Free Tech You do not need to have something like a fancy site or even a fully fledged customer service system if you don’t have many customers yet. You need to try and promote your business for free by using website builders if possible. If you can do this, then you’ll soon find that everything comes together nicely.

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5 Tips to Choose the Best UX Design Agency for Startup

The business value of design is on the rise in the customer-centric age. Regardless of market share or industry, user experience (UX) design is becoming a major competitive differentiator, as customers are more likely to switch brands or leave purchases unfinished if they don’t enjoy an online or in-app experience.  To enact the UX best practices from the project’s onset, find a reliable design agency that will give you a hand using the five tips below. We suggest you act on them in order, as following this algorithm will weed out unreliable UX design agencies ill-equipped to handle your project. Of course, you can introduce more interim steps and checks to ensure the UX design agency for startups of your choice meets your requirements to a T. Settle on a Team Size Hiring a one-person UI/UX design team represented by a freelance designer is the cheapest option, therefore, the most sought after by startups. However, it’s also the riskiest one, as the designer becomes the project’s bottleneck, especially when juggling multiple clients and responsibilities. Even the most diligent designers can catch a cold, go for a career pivot, or change employers. Regardless of the force-majeure, you will be left with no UX support and will have to go through the search and onboarding process all over again. Working with a development and design agency is a safer option. You get a range of expertise, and the vendor takes full responsibility for unforeseen circumstances to keep the UX design on track and within budget. Though this approach requires thorough research and calls for increased investment, it is more likely to produce the desired results. Analyze the Portfolio Start with the UX design agency’s website and Dribbble or Behance profiles. After browsing through past designs, consider three questions: How much experience does the company possess? Pay attention to the number of completed and delivered projects, not just the concepts that never saw the light of the day. Keep an eye out for the projects within your niche or target audience and compare them to the designs you’ve seen throughout the competition. How much variety is there in the agency’s designs? Some companies stick with the same layouts and offer nothing new or innovative regardless of the industry or project type. That’s not the partner you want on your side if you want your project to stand out post-launch. How good is their UX design? Check out the projects in your niche and consider the ease of use, navigation, and calls to action. If you’re looking to design a website, make sure the agency’s past designs are mobile-friendly and follow the SEO best practices. Some companies avoid posting their full portfolio online. Still, you can reach out to those on your shortlist to request examples of past projects within your market niche. This will help you kill two birds with one stone by reviewing the portfolio and analyzing the communication approach. Assess Communication Consider your preferred communication mode (email, instant messaging, video calls) and use it to conduct preliminary discussions and interviews. You need to evaluate how good the team is at understanding your needs, formulating proposals, and addressing your feedback. The latter is especially important, as you might need to introduce changes or request corrections once the project is underway. Ask the design team about the projects they are most proud of and offer mild criticism. Analyze the way the team reacts to your comments. If they are open to suggestions and ready to agree that things could have gone better, you’re in luck. If the designers become overly defensive and unwilling to listen to your comments, however justified, they are unlikely to heed your feedback throughout your partnership.  Evaluate the Proposal The content of the proposal you get is the obvious factor to consider. You don’t want to cooperate with a company that isn’t interested enough to personalize the offer. Instead of copying your brief and pasting a price tag, a high-end UX design agency will offer a list of preliminary solutions and approaches tailored to your niche and project. Even if they don’t go into detail, the basic suggestions are usually enough to learn how interested the agency is in becoming your design partner. The less obvious thing to study in a proposal is the layout and presentation. Do not trust a company that doesn’t bother designing proper file layouts for business communication. If they cannot develop a quality in-house solution, they are unlikely to treat your project any better. Study the Processes Research should be the design agency’s priority, regardless of the project or niche. Experienced UX designers will have a million questions about the target audience, user personas, their needs, and requirements. If you cannot provide the answers to all these questions, the agency should be able to conduct market research in your stead. Avoid companies that jump straight into building wireframes and designing mockups. They will likely rely on recycled past projects and well-worn designs that are far removed from your customers’ needs. Ideally, the design team should be up-to-date with current UX research and trends instead of relying on gut feeling and knowing what’s best for users. The project management approach is also crucial. The UX agency should provide you with a communication framework, an updated schedule, and access to collaboration tools in use. You should also discuss the form of design delivery, qualitative and quantitative deliverables, project scope, timeline, budget, and more. Finding the right UX design agency to work on your startup project is an intense, time-consuming task. However, if you follow our tips and treat your search seriously, you might come up with a long-term design partner that will stay by your side for years to come. After all, finding the right team is one of the most reliable ways to keep your startup from failing, like the unlucky 9 out of 10 do.

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7 Essential Areas of Maintenance for Businesses

If you have a commercial property or multiple residential units, you are definitely going to spend a significant amount of money on the upkeep and maintenance of your property. Similarly, whether you have a startup or a large-scale corporation, maintenance is one of the most critical aspects of your business. To provide your staff with a convenient and comfortable workspace, it is important that you stay on top of routine maintenance of your property. The major goal of routine maintenance is to keep your building in tip-top condition. Regular maintenance is a must for all businesses of all sizes and types. Not only does it help you save money on future repairs and replacements, but proper maintenance keeps your employees and visitors safe. 1. Training and Development Regular training and development have many benefits, not only for the maintenance providers but for employees and the entire staff too. Maintenance training is important for the growth of the company and employees alike. Trained employees are more likely to execute the management tasks efficiently and maintenance adds a lot of value to your team, improving your financial performance in the long run. 2. Lighting The lighting in the workplace should neither be too bright that it will strain your eyes nor be too dim to make it difficult for the employees to see objects clearly. Bright lights can cause headaches, eye strain, and other medical issues that not only affect the health of the individual but can lead to lower productivity. Similarly, your eyes have to work harder to focus on objects in a poorly-lit environment. For these reasons, it is important to conduct lighting and electrical inspections on a regular basis to ensure that your rooms are well lit. Comprehensive lighting maintenance includes interior, exterior, and exit lighting. The lights and lamps installed in the exteriors and interiors of your workplace must be cleaned and maintained regularly. Professionals will also check the hardware and cables of the lights to ensure that everything is working smoothly. 3. Safety Accidents could occur at any time in commercial buildings, especially on a manufacturing or construction site. The only way to minimize the risk of these accidents is to keep all your office equipment and tools up to date. Managers are responsible for checking the quality of all tools and ensuring that each part of the machinery and all equipment are in good working condition. Some heavy-duty machines require proper training, qualifications, and a license to be operated. Make sure you restrict the use of these machines to only those with qualifications and training to operate them. 4. HVAC System The goal of any organization is to create a comfortable work environment that enables people to conduct their tasks and projects as efficiently as possible. The HVAC system in your workplace plays a crucial role in maintaining optimal temperatures. Proper ventilation is also important, especially in areas where you have stored sensitive materials. Therefore, it is essential to clean all air ducts, coils, and other components of the HVAC unit. Schedule a HVAC inspection periodically, generally every five to six months. Air filter components should also be cleaned and maintained every quarter. 5. Commercial Cleaning Hiring commercial cleaners can make your workplace a comfortable, clean, and pleasant place. The cleanliness of your office affects not only health and hygiene, but also productivity levels. Employees will work harder when they are working in a cleaner, more pleasant environment. A regular cleaning contract with a professional cleaning company is the best way to achieve this. 6. Building Interiors The interiors of your building include a range of items that require specific maintenance, from the door locks to employee cubicles and plumbing. You should hire a plumber to inspect wall pipes and drainage. Likewise, contract a professional building inspection team to check every nook and cranny of your site’s interior. Regular inspection will not only keep your office equipment and fixtures in good condition, but it will also protect your office from pest infestation and other issues. 7. Exterior Maintenance Your commercial landscape is the first thing your investors, employees, customers, and business partners will see when they enter your building. The cleanliness of your exteriors is as important as interior cleaning, but that alone will not suffice. You need to inspect the gutters, roof, lawns, floors, fencing, exterior paints and walls, and other areas as part of proper maintenance. The windows, doors, facade walls, and roof of your commercial building are a few things that require regular upkeep. You should also focus on the aesthetics of your exteriors, as this is key to the first impression you give your customers and visitors. Key Takeaways Employees who participate in maintenance activities must be trained and qualified for the job. It is common for businesses to prioritize cost concerns over maintenance. However, you should never delay maintenance to save a little money, as a small issue in your office could lead to a serious problem that might cost you thousands of dollars in the long run.

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Kite Packaging have brought to market their new range of reusable, recyclable and biodegradable shredded paper

The employee-owned business has recently added a wide range of innovative solutions to their ecommerce offering providing customers with sustainable alternatives, their latest one being shredded paper. Kite’s reusable, recyclable and biodegradable FSC and PEFC certified shredded paper is the perfect sustainable void fill solution for not only protecting items but also as an added aesthetic and is FSC and PEFC certified. Commonly used in boxes, hampers, gift bags, baskets and much more, its zig-zag shape ensure it works its way into every corner filling small gaps and providing ultimate cushioning. Available in kraft (produced from 100% recyclable materials) black and white, Kite’s smooth and uncoated 70-80gsm paper does not need fluffing up beforehand and is industrially dust-extracted therefore reducing the dusty mess often associated with other alternatives. This high-quality alternative to many void fill solutions provides great cushioning for fragile products with good holding power. For more information please visit kitepackaging.co.uk

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Migrant Worker Safety Should Be A Priority For The Construction Industry

With the advent of the pandemic, more and more communities across the country are relying on the steady supply of migrant labour to keep construction projects going. Taylor Wimpey and other builders make heavy use of legal migrant workforces that are prepared to continue working, despite the current restriction on daily life.  Unfortunately, these same workers are often at the highest risk of injury. According to data from the Centre for Corporate Responsibility, migrants are more than twice as likely to injure themselves or die at work compared to their non-migrant counterparts. Therefore, the construction industry needs to make improvements in its safety record.  How such efforts should proceed, however, is a matter for debate. Currently, there are two main candidates for employers: safeguarding training and further investment in health and safety education.  At the moment, there are a variety of organizations looking to improve migrant safety across the country. The hope is that they can close the knowledge gap and provide overseas students with the same level of knowledge as those already here, making it less likely that they will take risks on the job. Simple strategies, such as teaching about the importance of wearing harnesses when working at heights, can all help.  In this post, we take a look at some of the techniques that the construction industry can use to improve its migrant safety record and boost outcomes for this particular category of workers.  Ensure That Workers Can Work The first thing construction firms need to do is ensure that migrant workers are allowed to work in the country. You’ll want to check with your local law office to see whether they have the necessary documentation. Remember, fines are rising for employing people not eligible to work in the country. Workers need to be able to legally work to ensure that they can do so safely, as well as meet various immigration and government quotes.  Invest In Wellbeing Opportunities While overseas workers are often willing to work for less than their domestic counterparts, companies still need to invest in their well-being. The main issue here is often a lack of understanding of the language. If workers can’t understand the nuances of the instructions that you give them, they will find it hard to stay safe. Many construction companies are, therefore, investing in English language communication to give their workers the tools they need to thrive on the job.  Provide Access To Resources Some migrant workers will not have resources on home devices, such as tablets or laptops. For that reason, companies should find ways to provide them directly. For instance, you might have an amazing health and safety course you provide online via the cloud. But if your workers don’t have a device to play it on at home, then it won’t be able to help them.  Make Learning Engaging Lastly, construction companies need to ensure that their learning is engaging and, hopefully, in a language that workers understand. While communicating in English is preferably on the building site, local-language health and safety instruction may improve compliance. 

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5 Ways To Improve Your Construction Process

Construction project managers can have a hard time on their hands with the sheer amount of variables and tasks they have to handle within any single project. The budget, the schedule, and change orders all have the potential to tie up and undermine the project, especially if a change in one part of the process manifests a widescale change in the whole. However, there are tools and tips that project managers can implement to improve that construction process, some of which we’re going to take a look at now. Plan More Effectively The problems that lead to change orders and schedule changes typically happen in the planning stage of the project. As such, it’s important to work with project planning tools that allow you to more accurately gauge what resources you are going to need to complete a project, what processes are part of that project, and what equipment and skills are needed to complete those processes. Otherwise, if you later find out that you are missing the materials, equipment, people, or information that you need, you’re going to have to halt or slow the project in order to try and find them. Train Your Team to Work with Better Project Standards We’re going to assume that you have already found a team that is well-trained in operating their equipment and providing the labor that you need them to provide. However, they need to be more than experienced in their roles during a construction project.  Your team should be trained to collaborate and communicate more effectively as possible. Training them to break down the end goal of processes, to create and follow check-off goals, and to use any workflow planning software that allows them to update project plans when they have complete a process within it can allow them to help you keep better track of project process. Supervising your team so that you are able to correct them on any incorrect methods during projects is crucial, too. Eliminate Change Orders as Best as Possible Change orders, as most will know, are work processes that are added or removed from the scope of a project, and often they cost time, money, and bring problems to projects that were not part of the original design.  There are two main types of change orders, the first being owner-initiated changes which are typically unavoidable (unless you can advise the project owner otherwise), but there are also change orders caused by design omissions and errors, which can definitely be prevented.  Project management software can play a huge role in lowering change orders. It can help better define workflows so that omissions are easier to notice, use reminders to keep you on track, and provide an audit trail so you have evidence on project planning and changes all the way through. Get Your Team Involved in the Project Planning If you trust that you are working with a competent team, especially those that have technical expertise that you may not, then it’s a good idea to get their opinion on project plans. You may, for instance, choose to share plans with them ahead of time, to see if any of those with plenty of experience in the field highlight something that the plan may be missing.  Even when the project is underway, you should ensure that your team is given the confidence to speak up if they think something is going wrong with the project. One person `cannot spot every potential difficulty; those working on the project every day might easily spot something that you miss. Keep the Crew Accountable While your team may be a crucial asset that can provide more insight than you are currently gathering from them, they can also be responsible for the mistakes and under-performance that can lead to schedule and budget changes. The right key performance indicators (KPIs) can help you keep track of how they are doing within a project, highlight problem areas in advance, and providing the training, advice, or restructuring where it might be needed. You can tie performance measurements and record-keeping to rewards, such as bonuses, so your workers are better incentivized to help you accurately keep records on them, too. Keep your bottom line intact, avoiding schedule delays and projects going over budget as best as you can with the tips above. You can’t control every aspect of the construction process, but you can make sure that you have the right systems in place to prevent major disruptions.

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5 Ways To Improve Your Construction Process

Construction project managers can have a hard time on their hands with the sheer amount of variables and tasks they have to handle within any single project. The budget, the schedule, and change orders all have the potential to tie up and undermine the project, especially if a change in one part of the process manifests a widescale change in the whole. However, there are tools and tips that project managers can implement to improve that construction process, some of which we’re going to take a look at now. Plan More Effectively The problems that lead to change orders and schedule changes typically happen in the planning stage of the project. As such, it’s important to work with project planning tools that allow you to more accurately gauge what resources you are going to need to complete a project, what processes are part of that project, and what equipment and skills are needed to complete those processes. Otherwise, if you later find out that you are missing the materials, equipment, people, or information that you need, you’re going to have to halt or slow the project in order to try and find them. Train Your Team to Work with Better Project Standards We’re going to assume that you have already found a team that is well-trained in operating their equipment and providing the labor that you need them to provide. However, they need to be more than experienced in their roles during a construction project.  Your team should be trained to collaborate and communicate more effectively as possible. Training them to break down the end goal of processes, to create and follow check-off goals, and to use any workflow planning software that allows them to update project plans when they have complete a process within it can allow them to help you keep better track of project process. Supervising your team so that you are able to correct them on any incorrect methods during projects is crucial, too. Eliminate Change Orders as Best as Possible Change orders, as most will know, are work processes that are added or removed from the scope of a project, and often they cost time, money, and bring problems to projects that were not part of the original design.  There are two main types of change orders, the first being owner-initiated changes which are typically unavoidable (unless you can advise the project owner otherwise), but there are also change orders caused by design omissions and errors, which can definitely be prevented.  Project management software can play a huge role in lowering change orders. It can help better define workflows so that omissions are easier to notice, use reminders to keep you on track, and provide an audit trail so you have evidence on project planning and changes all the way through. Get Your Team Involved in the Project Planning If you trust that you are working with a competent team, especially those that have technical expertise that you may not, then it’s a good idea to get their opinion on project plans. You may, for instance, choose to share plans with them ahead of time, to see if any of those with plenty of experience in the field highlight something that the plan may be missing.  Even when the project is underway, you should ensure that your team is given the confidence to speak up if they think something is going wrong with the project. One person `cannot spot every potential difficulty; those working on the project every day might easily spot something that you miss. Keep the Crew Accountable While your team may be a crucial asset that can provide more insight than you are currently gathering from them, they can also be responsible for the mistakes and under-performance that can lead to schedule and budget changes. The right key performance indicators (KPIs) can help you keep track of how they are doing within a project, highlight problem areas in advance, and providing the training, advice, or restructuring where it might be needed. You can tie performance measurements and record-keeping to rewards, such as bonuses, so your workers are better incentivized to help you accurately keep records on them, too. Keep your bottom line intact, avoiding schedule delays and projects going over budget as best as you can with the tips above. You can’t control every aspect of the construction process, but you can make sure that you have the right systems in place to prevent major disruptions.

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4 Critical Steps for Staying on Top of Your SME’s TaxesPost

Owners of small and medium-sized enterprises know how important it is to budget carefully. Without the safety net of a huge savings account or lots of high-dollar investments, business owners must monitor their cash flow scrupulously. If you’re just starting your SME, you understand how critical following your budget is to your business’s success. However, one area that new business owners often forget to budget for is taxes, so follow these steps to make sure that you’ve adequately prepared for tax season. 1. Get Professional Accounting Help You try to limit the number of employees in your early days so that you make more profit each month. After all, each full-time employee you hire represents 40 hours of wages every week. However, when it comes to accounting services, you must invest in professional, full-time employees. Working with a certified public accountant or an accounting firm gives you peace of mind that you’re working within your budget.  Taxes become more complicated as your SME expands, and your accounting team is ready to help you understand the wide variety of business arrangements that affect your taxes: Sole proprietorships Joint-stock businesses Nonprofit organizations Additionally, accountants help you navigate complex situations such as value-added taxes, residual taxes, and salary deductions. To avoid fines from improperly filing your taxes and to maximize your refund, find your professional accounting team today. 2. Learn About Duties Most countries require businesses to file their income taxes annually, but some taxes and duties occur more frequently. Duties are taxes charged by countries when you export or import goods. For example, if you run a restaurant chain and you import wine from France to the United States, you must pay duties on each shipment of wine’s value. If your shipments are worth less than a few hundred dollars, you probably don’t have to pay taxes on them, but you should still check the laws carefully for each country in which you conduct business. Also, remember that the percentage you’re charged varies depending on what products you’re shipping, so don’t expect to pay the same amount for all your international shipments. Because duties are charged at the border, you can easily budget for these taxes each month rather than handling the entire payment once a year. Work with your accounting team to calculate each shipment’s taxes, and include that value in your materials budget. Consider using a spreadsheet to keep track of each country’s reporting and taxation requirements.  3. File Your Paperwork Carefully Filing your taxes is a nightmare if you don’t keep track of your paperwork carefully. As a business owner, you’re responsible for many forms for your SME: Cash flow statements Investment reports Property value assessments Employees’ pay rates and hours Loan statements Customers’ invoices All of these forms combine to provide the information your accounting team needs to complete your taxes. Store each one in a secure location, and scan them so that you have copies in the cloud in case your files are damaged or stolen. If you struggle to stay organized with so much paperwork, work with your office assistant to develop a method for maintaining your forms. 4. Watch for Legal Changes Every country’s laws change regularly, but this is especially true for tax laws, which tend to change when different parties or factions gain control of the government. For example, in the US, if the Republican Party is in control, taxes tend to go down; if the Democratic Party is in control, they often go up. Whenever tax laws are up for debate in a country in which you work, watch the process carefully. Bills frequently change as they become laws, so you can’t count on any clause taking effect until the entire bill passes. For example, a politician introduces a bill that increases taxes on companies that use fossil fuels, but environmental concerns do not have enough support, so other politicians vote to remove that part of the bill. Whenever a new tax law is released, make sure that you understand it thoroughly before filing taxes in accordance with it. Talk to your accounting team to make sure they understand the changes, and if anyone is unsure what something means, reach out to a tax lawyer. Ask him or her to brief your company on the recent changes and give you advice on implementing them.  Your SME’s income varies greatly from year to year, especially when you’re just getting started. Watch out for the different income levels in your country’s new tax laws, as most nations have progressive taxes. Just because you were in a certain bracket with the previous tax law doesn’t mean that you’re going to be in the same bracket this season.  By taking these four steps, you ensure that your SME’s taxes are filed correctly, no matter how complicated your financial system is.

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5 Ways to Keep Your Construction Team Happy While They’re On the Clock

The productivity of a construction team is heavily dependent on their satisfaction and happiness, especially when they’re on the clock. Contractors and worksite managers can do a lot to keep their construction teams happy while they’re working. Let’s check out a few of the best methods now. Use Timecard Apps to Enable Flexible Clocking In and Out One of the best ways to boost the productivity (and overall pride) of your construction team is to leverage timecard apps. This might seem counterintuitive at first, but construction teams are often happy having the ability to flexibly clock in and out depending on the workday’s requirements. For example, timecard apps allow your employees to track their time and accurately bill you for both regular hours worked and overtime hours. Additionally, timecard apps offer your employees the opportunity to punch out early if they complete their work ahead of time – who doesn’t like that? There are plenty of construction-specific timecard apps to choose from, allowing you to integrate this software-based solution with other software or tools your company already uses.  Be Humane with Shifts Speaking of shifts and time punching, you should always be humane when it comes to requests for punching out early or sick days. Everyone has crazy days when they have to take care of other responsibilities or duck out of work early. You can inspire an environment of trust and honesty in your construction team by being flexible and humane with these requests. Don’t deny someone the opportunity to leave early to pick up their kid from the hospital just because you have to meet a deadline. Maintain Equipment A happy and productive construction team always has high-quality equipment. Contractors or worksite managers know that buying new equipment isn’t always possible, but any stuff your guys are using should be well maintained and safe overall. Well-maintained equipment will be appreciated by a construction crew and allow them to complete their tasks ahead of schedule, which may result in overall savings for your company in the long run. Plus, no one likes to work on a construction site that seems dangerous or use tools that can harm them. Emphasize Regular Training Want to boost productivity and satisfaction in your construction team? Be sure to implement regular training exercises so your team members are always doing things as efficiently and safely as possible. Regular training sessions are excellent, both for teaching experienced construction team members about your technologies or systems and for teaching new workers who may not know what they’re doing. Using regular training programs or seminars also means your experienced construction team members don’t have to spend their valuable time teaching newcomers stuff that they can easily learn from another source. Have an Open Door Policy – Encourage Communication Lastly, your construction team members will be happier on the clock if you maintain an open-door policy and encourage active communication. If your construction team members can come to you with any problem, they’ll feel happier and more content at their jobs, which means more profits and a better workplace for you overall.

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3 Ways to Empower Your Teams to Be More Productive

Having a good team on board will transform your business as you will receive better results. More than likely you will need to do certain things to ensure that knowledge and morale is high so everything runs smoothly. Once you have a stronger team you will notice your productivity levels will rise to improve quality of work and completion of projects. Training your staff members Providing training to your staff members will ensure that they give you the best quality of work at a rapid pace. It may be an investment now, but it will help you massively in the future by saving you time and money. Workplace training companies such as https://kallibr.com.au/ will provide the training for you so you can have the peace of mind that no key information is missed. They have loads of courses that you and your team members can enroll on to further your knowledge. Whether you have a business that requires training on-site or off-site there are courses for everyone so it is well worth putting your time and money into to allow your team to thrive in your business. When a team member has the knowledge they need, they will often work faster and more confidently. Often it can really bring out the personality in someone which can improve their overall growth within the company.  Using strengths to your advantage When it comes to delegating your daily tasks it is best to use strengths and weaknesses to your advantages. Any weaknesses that your team have should be spoken about and resolved by providing the option to enroll onto a course to maximize their confidence. This will allow them to gain confidence in the activity and it will be easier to place them on any department or task. Noting people’s strengths will make it easier to delegate your team members when you need a job doing well in a timely manner. In addition when team members get to do their favourite task they will keep the overall environment up as well as doing it correctly. If you are struggling then pair up someone who is confident in that area with someone who is unsure as they will be able to work with one another to complete it in a non intimidating way.  Good working environment Keeping the overall environment a happy and motivating space will ensure that your team keeps their passion for their roles. Hold regular team activities and bonding sessions such as paintballing or go karting and you will notice how your team will work better together afterwards. Often it will loosen up and relax the relationships between your team which will make them more confident to ask one another for assistance. Even holding a film night or a game of UNO at lunchtimes will eliminate stress and tension which will reduce the cause for mental health problems. It does not need to cost lots of money but even bringing in a box of donuts will improve everyone’s mood and will enjoy their jobs more.

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