How Technology is Changing the Way You Hire

Advancements in technology in recent years have helped improve the hiring process of many companies. Interviewers now have access to all the information they need on their potential employees with just a few clicks on their screens and that helps make a hiring manager’s job quicker and easier.

There are many ways through which this whole process has been simplified and they were all created in order to help companies make the right decisions on hiring new employees. By hiring the right people, the company is going to move a step closer to success. Here are some ways through which the hiring process has changed over time.

Accessing information is much quicker

The very first way through which technology has changed and improved the way companies hire their new employees is through the digitalization of information. While in previous years interviewers had to go through all the documents a potential employee submitted, they are now able to access all that information through individual files on their computers.

On top of this, thanks to social media platforms and search engines, it is a lot easier to verify claims the applicants might have made in regards to their studies, past employment or anything else that is considered relevant. LinkedIn is a website most professionals use and it could really help clarify and verify any claims you might be unsure that your applicant has presented you with.

Online video interviews have simplified the process

While physical interviews might be considered the best option by some interviewers, online video interviews have broken down barriers that were caused by distance and other responsibilities. Physical interviews meant that the person applying for the job had to be somewhere close to the company in order to be able to be employed.

By giving applicants the opportunity to have an online interview, the company shows that they are interested in working with remote employees. Finding skilled professionals to fit a position isn’t always possible if you’re only looking for people who will work in the same office building daily.

Interview scheduling tools have aided organization

Along with giving more opportunities for companies to interview people through video calls, interviews have also become a lot easier to schedule for all parties included. Online tools and calendars such as Google Calendar and Evernote allow their users to schedule events, create notes and set up reminders for every interview or similar event they have coming up. 

On top of this, these tools allow their users to share their notes with those involved, so they can also keep track of any changes or modifications that have been made. Rescheduling an interview and keeping track of all the dates has never been easier and this simplifies the process significantly.

Companies can manage remote workers effectively

By giving companies the opportunity to expand their horizons and look into hiring professionals from all over the world, technology has given them a way to better manage their progress in regards to their work. There is technically nothing that a manager won’t be able to do with a remote team worker, no matter the distance that separates them and that gives them the chance to not have to worry about the distance when deciding on hiring someone from a different part of the world.

Emails, video calls and online text messaging allow the team to be in constant contact without having to worry about not being able to communicate on time about anything that comes up. This way, employers can be certain that their remote workers are working efficiently and are delivering the results they should.

Potential employees can know more about their future employers

Last but not least, something that indirectly affects the hiring process for many companies is the fact that their applicants are able to have access to a lot of information in regards to their companies. Being transparent about their actions is something that will help a potential employee chose to want to work with a company, as they will seem much more trustworthy and professional.

Thanks to social media platforms, companies can easily create a good image of their brand and show the world their work ethics and ambitions in the form of daily posts and updates. As long as your company is transparent about its work-related activities, the applicants you will come across will be motivated to work hard and help the company keep its good reputation.

Making the hiring process more effective

Technology has given employers the opportunity to come in contact with people from all over the world and from different backgrounds. Finding skilled professionals to fill out a spot in a company has never been easier and it is all thanks to the various apps, tools, and services which help aid communication and organization between teams.

The hiring process has been made easier and hiring managers can rest assured that they will find just the employee they are looking for online. All they need to do is put some time and effort into getting to know how to use a few different online tools in order to make the interviewing process quicker and simpler.

Bio:

Donald Fomby is a professional translator for PickWriters and specializes in offering Japanese translation services. Showing others the beauty of learning a new language is one of his biggest passions and in his spare time he loves to travel the world and come in contact with new cultures.

Free image taken from:https://www.pexels.com/photo/ballpen-blur-close-up-computer-461077/

How Can Small Businesses Stay Relevant Today?

Small businesses are feeling the effect of major e-commerce retailers like Amazon. When consumers can one-stop shop from their smartphone or laptop, it’s hard to convince them to visit your brick-and-mortar store…or even your website. Is this the end of small businesses, or is there a way to stay relevant without going broke?

Adapting to the Amazon Era

Small businesses that fail to adapt to the way today’s buyers shop will feel the biggest pinch. As of 2019, online shopping accounts for about 12 percentof all retail sales. Even when shopping in-store, most consumers go online to find local businesses.

That means it’s more important than ever for small businesses to have a web presence. Even if your business doesn’t do e-commerce, a simple brochure sitegives customers a place to learn about services, locations, and contact information. If you are selling clothing, cosmetics, electronics, or another shippable product, a full-fledged e-commerce website can help you to grow your business’s reach and sales.

Websites aren’t effective when they’re not pleasing to look at or easy to use. Nearly half of all consumers say they gauge the credibility of a website based on its visual design. A smooth user experience matters too, and broken links or confusing navigation are enough to turn shoppers away. Don’t cheap out on this important business tool. Follow Upwork’s advice and hire HTML developers that have the right front-end and HTML coding experience to help you create a dynamic and engaging website that meets all your needs and serves your customers well. These developers should be experienced in web fundamentals (e.g., CSS, JavaScript) and in UI/UX design concepts. 

Can Free Shipping Be Affordable?

Small businesses that do have an e-commerce component have to compete with Amazon’s convenience, but they don’t necessarily have to mirror it. Fast and free shipping is important to customers, but small businesses worry it will cut into their bottom line.

Small businesses can compensate for slower shipping by providing accurate shipping estimates at checkout and emailing customers with tracking details as soon as an order is shipped. A package might take three to five days to arrive instead of Amazon’s one to two, but the prompt communication keeps customers in the loop and so they’re never left wondering.

As for shipping costs, the best approach is building them into product costs. Customers may be reluctant to pay an extra $10 at checkout, but they’re willing to spend 16 percent more on products at retailers who have superior customer experience. If you deliver in other ways, shoppers won’t blink at your slightly higher prices.

Delivering the Customer Experience

Businesses that want to charge a premium need to actually deliver on customer experience. Shoppers don’t hesitate to shun a small business when they have subpar service — one in three say they’ll stop doing business with a trusted brand after a single negative experience.

One service area where small businesses fall flat is efficiency. Consumers like shopping at small businesses for the personal touch, but they can get frustrated when they feel businesses don’t value their time. Improving order fulfillment and shipping speeds solves that problem in e-commerce, but shoppers are still dissatisfied with long wait times in brick-and-mortar stores. As tempting as it is to minimize staffing costs, an expedient, knowledgeable staff is the foundation of in-store customer service. Businesses can also show they value shoppers’ time by making returns easy and offering to ship items that are out-of-stock in-store.

Beyond speeding things up, small businesses can improve the experience through multi-channel customer service. Today’s shoppers don’t want to call for help. Instead, they prefer self-service tools like knowledge bases or social media. Hootsuite offers tips for keeping social media customer service manageable as a small business.

Your small business may never be a fraction of the size of Amazon, but that doesn’t mean you have to admit defeat. Buyers are still shopping at small businesses, but they’re growing choosier about where they spend their dollars. By delivering great service online and off, you can ensure your business stays at the top of shoppers’ lists.

Business Habits That Create Success: How to Stay on Track

For many professionals, staying on track when it comes to business can be tricky. There are many factors to think about and devote time to, from your family to your personal projects, and it can seem overwhelming at times to try and manage them all. However, there are some specific habits practiced by successful individuals that might help you stay on track. Whether you want to learn to manage your time more wisely or simply stay motivated, there are some small changes you can make to your routine that will help you stay on track. 

This is especially important for entrepreneurs who are just starting out, as it takes a lot of drive to be successful in such a competitive market, where so many startups are gaining ground. Keeping your business and personal finances separate, building your credit, and making contacts in the industry will help you keep your goals at the forefront.

Keep reading for some great tips on how to create successful business habits.

Make the Most of the Day

Some of the most successful individuals are early risers, and there’s a very good reason for that: the more daylight you have, the more you can do with the day. Fill up those hours with productive activities and plan out your goals so there’s no wasted time. Take meetings and appointments, stay on top of communication with your contacts, and get as much done as you can before 6 p.m. This way, you can go home with the knowledge that you made the most of the day, and the peace of mind that will help you relax and recharge for tomorrow.

Try hiring a maid service like these in Chicago and New York City! You can focus more on your work and less on the dust!

Manage Your Finances

There are few things more stressful than not having your finances in order. Whether it’s your personal bank account or the money you’re going to use for your startup, having everything organized will not only help you stay on top of your business needs, it will keep you in the good graces of the IRS as well. Always keep your personal and business accounts separate, keep receipts for every transaction (and keep them neat and organized by date), and make sure you have a firm budget. However, if you feel like you’re coming up short, consider looking into a business loan to help you through the tighter times. That said, it’s very important to read up on how interest rates work to ensure you know precisely what you’re getting into, especially since percentages can vary depending on the lender.

Network

Networking is essential for those who want to remain successful in business. Not only does it help you garner a following, you’ll also find peers who can help out when you find yourself stuck in a hard place, and having that kind of support will go a long way towards keeping you on top of your goals. Go to conventions, talk to other small business owners in the area, and make social media your go-to for managing relationships.

Surround Yourself with Good People

Surrounding yourself with people who are trustworthy and have similar goals to yours will help you delegate with ease, and that’s one practice of successful business people that will never change. You can’t take everything on yourself, and doing so will only lead to burnout. Give yourself a break now and then and allow the people on your team to help out.

Staying on track in the business world can be tough, especially with all the distractions we face on a daily basis. However, following these successful business habits and sticking with a routine can help you reach your goals with minimal stress and keep you looking forward.

Characteristics of a Successful Entrepreneur

Many people believe that being an entrepreneur is just about starting a business, but there are many other facets of the career path. Entrepreneurship is about building value for yourself, your employees, and your customers.

It takes years of hard work, accomplishments, and failures before it can pay off. Many new start ups and business ventures actually fail within the first 18 months. Starting a business is difficult, but many succeed by following some important tips.

Skills and knowledge can vary from company to company and industry to industry. It is important to have these attributes in your various niche, but other factors will make a big impact. In todays world, you need to be a technically savvy, and for certain businesses, will need to have necessary programming experience. For other companies, you may just need to be savvy at talking and interacting with people.

There are certain personality characteristics that define a successful entrepreneur. Temperament and mental fortitude are what set them apart from those who fail and the even bigger group of people who never try to start their own business.

Regardless if you are starting a law practice, a pilates studio, or a tech startup, all successful entrepreneurs share a few key personal characteristics that differentiate them from the rest.

Having a Vision

Having a long term vision is key in entrepreneurship. As the leader of your business, you will be the one who needs to cast a vision for your entire company. You’ll need to set the vision for the team, for your customers, and perhaps even for investors. This requires the ability to think strategically and long term about your companies potential in the future. It could be imagining a larger role for your company than just the service or product it provides.

Having a successful vision is motivating and will push you to perform at your best, even when times are tough.

Resourcefulness

Entrepreneurs need to find ways to scale their time and effort. They wear many hats, so you’ll often need to learn new things quickly and find ways to maximize your time. Other strategies are to rely on other people and technology to help get more done.

Use of technology is important for entrepreneurs as it enables them to find ways to reduce workload and accomplish more every day. It can also be used as a resource for quickly learning new skills or knowledge. Some great examples are automated appointment booking and reminder systems like social media marketing and automation like Hootsuite, automated appointment booking and reminder systems like Appointment Reminder, or do-it-yourself website building and hosting like Bluehost.

Decisiveness

As an entrepreneur, you’ll need to make tough decisions almost every day. The ability to quickly decide on everything from how to price your product or service to where to invest your profits or how to deal with an unforeseen crisis are critical.

It is important to find ways to quickly and easily analyze possible scenarios and make the best decision. Allowing yourself to this will allow you have to be able to move on with your day.

Sales Driven

Sales is an important factor, regardless of the type of business. Even if you’re not selling a product or service directly, you need to be able to sell your business to just about anyone. Partners, customers, clients are all important in sales. You need to be able to speak intelligently and passionately about what you do and why you do it.

Not being afraid to fail or face rejection means being able to keep composure in the face of roadblocks or tense negotiations.

Adaptability

As an entrepreneur, you should be prepared for change at all times and be ready to adapt to what comes your way and tackle new challenges. This means you also need to be willing to change your vision if you determine that it’s not viable.

There are many start ups that begin their business headed in one direction, realize that they are not hitting the need of customers, and totally redirect. It’s adapting to the environment, and what people want, even if it’s not the original vision.

Responsibility

When you are an entrepreneur, your company’s wins or losses will ultimately be attributed to your decisions and actions. Which means you have to be able to not only own that burden but also be willing to take responsibility for all your employees.

Being responsible is one of the primary roles of any entrepreneur. If you’re not taking charge, there’s no one behind you to pick up the slack.

Risk-Taking

Entrepreneurship is all about taking a bet. You’re betting on yourself, your product or service, and on your team. Whether you’re taking on loans to finance growth, putting your personal savings into the company to get it started, or deciding whether to hire another employee, you will always have risk associated with running a business.

As an entrepreneur, you must embrace risk and be driven by it. You can not be afraid. You must have confidence enough to face the risk every day and keep doing the work that needs to be done.

Branding Your Business on a Budget

Branding is one of the key tools to a successful business. I mean, if people don’t know what you brand is then how can they buy something, or even better, become a loyal customer? To some brand marketing may come naturally, but for others it is just something else they have to do…but there are ways to make it easy and not expensive to implement.

There are ways you can get creative and brand your business. It may require a little time, but in the long run, you will see the ROI and can actually save you money!

Find a Voice

Once you’ve identified your buyers are you can start to see your brand form. A brand identity is the things that make people aware of what your brand is, aka your voice. Figuring that out follows a process not unlike the one that’s used to determine your personas but instead of answering questions about your target audience, you’re answering questions that are more introspective to your brand. What are its values? What does it represent?

 Know Your Peoplepeople-01

The needs, goals, and behavior of your potential customers dictate how you convey your product or service. Understanding those things helps you determine what kind of media your personas are consuming, what motivates them, and where they “live” online. Having that information helps develop a compelling, effective brand and it helps you reach the right people!

Use Social Media

Now we know who your personas are and we know what to say to them and how to say it. Yet, where are they located?

Since you might have a clear picture of the different pieces of your audience, it’s important to figure out where they’re spending the most time, especially on social media. It is effective to reach people where they are already present, which includes their online behavior, too. Once you do establish that presence, you need to maintain it. How many times have you gone to a brand’s Facebook Page only to find that nothing has been posted in the past three months? Chances are, it didn’t have a positive impact on your perception. That can be avoided by planning and scheduling social media posts like you would with any other marketing calendar. That’s a huge part of staying relevant to your audience. By sharing content that pertains to what they’re likely thinking about at a given time of year will be a key to your success.

Blog 

Blogging is important as we have said in other articles. It is the “attract” stage that turns strangers into visitors to your website.

blogging-01Blogging might be the most fundamental step of inbound marketing. It helps you reach qualified customers, by creating the informative content that matches the information they’re searching for. It’s so important to make it relevant to this audience, when you’re writing, make sure the content is optimized for those searches. After friends and family, blogs are the third most trusted source of information. That content will also serve as material to populate your social media networks, and we’ve already covered what a crucial part that plays in branding on a budget. One of the biggest struggles we hear about is the cost of spending time on it. If you are new to the web and blogging, check out firstsiteguide.com. Here they can show you how to start, run and grow your own blog!

Like planning your social media presence, having an editorial calendar for support-01-01your blog can be helpful in maintaining consistent timing and fresh content.

Customer Service

Whether you’re serving customers or clients, the goal is to create a delightful, sharable experience. And when the client or customer experience is a priority, it shouldn’t cost you much for them to talk about it. That revisits the importance of your identity and voice. As you go through these brand creating steps, think about the values that you want to be resonated in those things. Is amazing customer service one of them? Those values are what shape the brand, and that influences the voice you project to your audience.

Get Branding

Building a brand might seem like a huge undertaking, especially with limited resources. However, there are plenty of economical ways to not only get started, but to continue the momentum you start with these efforts. The thing is, you can really have fun with the process!

Remote Work and Virtual Teams

Managing virtual teams is a top concern for today’s businesses. It is considered smart when companies can find ways to decrease costs and provide better employee experiences. Today’s workers are widely dispersed. Your team might work at home due to flexible scheduling or maybe they are located across time zones. It is important to have the right tools to foster collaboration and ensure remote working doesn’t feel so…well, remote. 🙂

Personalization Features

Today’s remote collaboration applications recognize that teams need a higher degree of personalization features. Simple touches, like uploading team photographs, providing access to short bios, and showing who is online, can help build relationships and create the sense your workers are part of a bigger team.

Mobile Devicesmobile-devices-01

Investing in the right hardware is a key component of managing virtual teams. Remote workers often fare better when they have access to laptops, smartphones, and tablets. Mobility is a key value of today’s remote work culture, where staff provides critical support to your business anytime and anywhere. Equipping them with the right hardware enables them to focus on collaborating and creating value.

To-Do Lists

Who doesn’t love a to-do list! These lists help keep individual members of your team organized, while also enforcing proactive management. Managers can check to see what an individual worker is spending their time on daily. Try Hubstaff.com to help monitor your team! A program like this helps teams get a sense of how everyone’s contributing to the broader effort, which helps identify new opportunities for collaboration.

Collaboration Software

slack-3-05Unified communication software enables a business to create a secure, virtualized collaboration environment. While your team members can’t walk across the aisle to talk with a colleague, this solution is the next best thing. From easy file sharing and document collaboration to texting and product status updates, collaboration between team members becomes seamless. Try Slack as a team communication tool!

Cloud-Based Apps

Nearly every app your business uses is available in cloud format, from communication applications to customer relationship management software. Strategically investing in cloud-based applications, allows you to enable teams to access the information they need, wherever they are.

 File-sharing applications

The ability to share files and work on them together is an important part of collaboration. Papyrus or Confluence are great examples.Your finance team may need to review a spreadsheet and update it in real-time, for example, or a sales team might need to work together to refine a presentation. With virtualized collaboration environments, colleagues can share the same screen, edit documents together, and track all the changes in real time, resulting in whiteboard session-quality collaboration.

Collaboration Toolsvideo-conference-01

Communicate with video chatting, texting, and voice calls.Collaboration tools make meetings and one-on-one conversations easy. Remote workers can have multi-person video chats, allowing them to see each other and build deeper engagement, similar to face-to-face meetings. Texting allows colleagues to easily ask a question. Breaking down barriers to basic communication is an essential part of managing virtual teams.

Project Status Updates and Software

On a larger scale, transparency and visibility into project progress is essential. With remote teams, project management applications are frequently updated as tasks are completed. Managers can identify challenges before they become roadblocks. When remote workers see how their efforts contribute to the bigger picture, it helps them feel more connected.

Train Remote Workers on How to Collaborate

The most talented and innovative employees may not intuitively understand how to be part of a remote team. Invest in training your team on how to stay productive on their own, on your company’s mission and values, and how to make the most of the collaboration tools provided. A well-trained remote worker generates better results.

Keep Updated on New Collaboration Tools

toolsNew tools are always being developed to make it easier for remote teams to stay connected and productive. Look for needs within your team and watch for tools that help solve those problems. Continue to evaluate new tools in the collaboration space to see if they’re offering new features that can help your team connect effectively.

Remote work has a ton of benefits for businesses, from decreasing costs to increasing productivity. Having help is essential, and means you can take that much needed vacation you have been waiting for! ( Need a good set of luggage? Click Here!) Investing in collaboration tools are poised to capture the full benefits of this work arrangement, maximizing productivity and business results.

SEO Best Practices For Your Business

Search engine optimization can be a tough subject for some people. There is so much information and misinformation available online making it confusing for new users. When I began, many questions ran through my head. Does the latest tactic I’m reading about work? Does it work for all sites or only some? Or is this just another crackpot theory that sounds reasonable, but will never help to improve search traffic to my site?

SEO can be confusing but it doesn’t have to be. The basics of SEO are actually pretty easy to understand and if you give yourself to learn search engine optimization you’ll be able to sort fact from fiction and you’ll have the tools to delve into more advanced SEO concepts.

How to Approach SEO 

Search engine optimization is a subset of marketing. It can fit into your overall marketing plan and not be your marketing plan.marketing-strategy-03-01-01

You can do everything wrong when it comes to SEO, never receive a single visitor from a search engine, and still have a very successful and profitable site.

If you take a step back and market yourself well some of the more difficult parts of SEO will take care of themselves. That’s not to
say you should ignore SEO, but most of us don’t need to obsess over every little detail. There are ton of factors that determine where a page will rank in search results. Obsessing over one of those factors doesn’t make sense. Try to see the big picture rather than stewing over one detail.

SEO is not a set it and forget proposition. It’s an iterative process. You do what you can, measure the results, and continue to improve. You can’t SEO a site in a day or month. As with marketing in general, SEO is never ending. It also changes daily and what works for one site may not work for another.

SEO can be generally categorized into 5 different areas:

  • Keyword research
  • Search engine friendly site development
  • Analytics
  • Link Building
  • On-page SEO

Each of the above is important and they all work together. The whole s greater than the sum of the parts. Let’s talk about each of the above in more detail.

Keyword Research

Everyone would like their pages to rank #1. So…what is it to rank #1?  Not all keywords and keyword phrases are created equal. Some are typed into a search engine more often and some are more likely to lead to a sale. You don’t need to optimize for every possible keyword or phrase.

Say you sell real estate in Charleston, SC. You might think it important to rank well for the phrase “real estate,” but is it? Someone looking to buy property in Chicago or Los Angeles isn’t going to be interested in the homes you sell in Charleston. It is pointless to spend time and money trying to get those people to your site. You’d do much better to target phrases that include South Carolina and even better Charleston.

There are 3 types of queries someone might type into a search engine

keywrods-01Transactional queries – searching with an intent to purchase

Informational queries – searching for information from general to specific

Navigational queries – searching for a specific site or page

All three types of queries are important and each of them could ultimately lead to a sale. Someone finding helpful information on your site at one point may come back later and buy something. It is important to understand that what a person types into a search engine reveals something about their intent. Based on the searcher’s intent you may want different pages of your site ranking for different queries.

Developing a List of Keywords to Target

Brainstorming is the first step in developing good keywords. Write down as many words and phrases (50-100) as you can think of that relate to your site and understand that this is simply the start of your research.

As you brainstorm ask yourself: Do you only offer web design or do you also offer web development? You might specialize in
ecommerce design or small business web design. Maybe you also offer web hosting. Each of these will likely become a keyword theme around which you can build a more detailed list. The next step is to expand your list with some keyword tools.

tools-3-01Here are a few great tools:

  • Google AdWords Keyword Tool
  • SEO Book Keyword Tool
  • WordTracker
  • Keyword Discovery

There are also a variety of more advanced keyword research tools should you desire them.

Don’t worry about the absolute numbers with keyword tools. The numbers are estimates. Consider the numbers more in relative terms in comparison to each other. If all of the above tools show that more people search for web design than website design, it’s probably true.

A few tips about building keyword lists:

Find the words and phrases your customers use instead of industry jargon.

Look for synonyms – Similar to the above seek the words potential clients will use. You call it e-commerce. They might type ecommerce. Is it web design or website design?

Add qualifiers – Our Charleston SC real estate agent might add Charleston, South Carolina, or both to most every phrase. As a web designer your services might be affordable or professional. Optimizing for “professional web design services” also optimizes for “web design services”

Qualify your qualifiers – You might be tempted to add a qualifier like “free” since so many people use the word. However, someone searching for free anything isn’t looking to buy.

Look to your analytics package to see what phrases are currently bringing people to your site.

Search Engine Optimization

SEO, while capable of providing a valuable source of traffic, is still only one way to attract potential clients and customers to your site. Think of SEO as part of your marketing strategy instead of your whole marketing strategy

SEO is a process that can begin anywhere. Most of the time it will begin with keyword research, especially if you’ve yet to build your site or create the initial content. Keywords help you define who your market is and what that market is looking for. They’ll also lead the way when it comes to how you develop your site, what content you choose to create, and how that content is written.

Check out: The Ultimate Guide to Ecommerce SEO Pt 1

 

Easy Ways to Boost Your Wi-Fi Signal

Have you ever had a deadline at work and suddenly your Wi-Fi stops working? How about moving your laptop to the other room and “poof”, no more Wi-Fi? This can be one of the most frustrating situations one can face in the workplace or at home. Many times there are simple hacks than can fix the situation.

Don’t throw out your router just yet…check out some great solutions to help boost your signal.

Watch Where You Put That Router!
Yes, I have complained about my Wi-Fi only to have the cable company tell me that I shouldn’t have it on its side on the floor. Whoops! To achieve the strongest possible wireless connection, position your Wi-Fi router on a flat surface off the floor and closewifi-router-01-01 to the center of your home if you can. It is ideal to place it somewhere up high and out in the open is best, away from brick, stone, metal or concrete walls that could mess with the signal.

Place your router accordingly so that signals will go straight through walls, as opposed to at an angle. Wi-Fi signals will significantly weaken when they hit walls at angles. The best thing to do is in a multi-floor home or office is to place your router on the top floor for maximum coverage.

Also make sure to situate your router at least 10 feet away from certain devices or objects that could interfere with your signal, like refrigerators, cordless phones, garage door openers, speakers, microwaves, and mirrors.

Switch the Channel
To reduce interference from neighboring Wi-Fi networks just switch the channel I am told that channels 1, 6 or 11 are the best and most common channels for wireless networking. It all varie depending on the router you have. If you switch and your signal is still not working, try any other channel until you find one that maintains a strong connection.

Update Your Router’s Firmware
firmware-01Maybe your router just needs an update. Manufacturers are always tweaking software to dish out more performance and speed. Most current routers have the update process built right into the admin interface, so its easy to click just by hitting a firmware upgrade button. Older models still require you to first find and download the firmware from the router manufacturer’s website.

Buy a Strong Wi-Fi Antenna
Many Wi-Fi routers come with an antenna or two, but sometimes there are not strong enough to send signals to hard-to-reach areas and distant corners. If you add a high-gain or “booster” antenna to your router, it can fix the problem! This will instantly extend and strengthen your router’s range and give you coverage over large areas. They aren’t expensive, as I purchased a Cisco-Linksys High Gain Antenna Kit for for $15. The great thing is that you don’t have to be a genius tech superstar to install a high gain antenna. Just unscrew the old and replace with the new!

Buy a Plug-in Extender
High-gain antennas broadcast your Wi-Fi signal and Wi-Fi extenders, also called repeaters, rebroadcast them with improved range and speed and you can say adios to Wi-Fi dead zones.
The process of finding an extender’s sweet spot can be hit-or-miss at times. You may have to move it a little to find the best location and tilt the antennas on it.

off-02-01

Don’t Share with Others

I am all about being neighborly but there is no need to share your Wi-Fi network’s name with your neighbours. You can prevent this y turning off its Service Set Identifier (SSID) broadcasting option. This blocks strangers in your area from seeing your network, mooching off it and slowing it down. Most important, it reduces your risk of getting hacked! Of course, password protected Wi-Fi is also strongly encouraged to prevent this.

Distractions and How to Stay Focused

I love writing these blogs for Extendware, because I get to tell my stories and sometimes in my writing, make realizations on my own work habits. Recently I have noticed when I am focused and enjoy the tasks I am executing, nothing can stop me from getting things done. Then, there are the less attractive tasks. Those are the tasks that trigger my once focused self to be easily distracted. I was working on a spreadsheet that could have taken an hour, yet instead it took about three. Here are the reasons why.

I noticed dirt on the floor and decided to vacuum

I answered emails every time one came through

I played fetch with my dog

I answered my phone and talked to my cousin for 30 minutes

Pretty much anything that could distract me, I let distract me. Does this sound familiar?

We Are All Guilty

Many of us can get pushed off balance by the slightest interruptions at work, while others easily tune them out. In all honesty, nobody is completely attentive to their work 100% of the time and we can all use some guidaWe are all guilty-01nce on ways to avoid or ignore disruptions. The key is to limit distractions as much as possible. We’d all get burnt out pretty quickly if we didn’t get distracted from time to time to take our minds off of work. The bigger issue is when distractions take up too much of our time and prevent us from getting anything done. If interruptions in the office are not managed, they can seriously deter your focus and may lead to factual mistakes, poor performance, and poor judgment.

Frequent distractions can also negatively affect your mood. They can prevent you from getting your work done on time, which creates more stress for you and can make you more frustrated and unhappy at work. Happiness comes with work that has meaning to you, and seeing positive results from your efforts. Distractions can decrease focus, which increases stress, which can intensify any poor work habit you may have.

A distraction can take many forms. External annoyances like loud mouth phone talkers in open cube space to personal distractions such as social media or personal email.

DISTRACTIONS-2-01Types if distractions depend on your line of work, office space, size of your company etc. Some examples of the various culprits include: Relentless e-mail, text messages, social media, co-worker or client interruptions, visitors and unscheduled meetings, music, TV, alerts, IM’s, ringing phones, other people talking, noisy copy machines, vehicles going by outside your window, elevator doors opening and closing…wow I am getting distracted just writing this!

There is hope! If you regularly lose focus at work because of one or more of these distractions, there are a few things you can do.

Time Management

Reserve blocks of time for work that requires the most concentration. The regular 9-5 timeframe might be standard but to assume people will use that exact formula is silly.  I like to use the first hour at work to make headway on my most time consuming and difficult project. Some people feel like they can focus later in the evening, after kids go to bed, dinner is over etc. Its all about finding what works for you. If you are sharing an office, ask your co-workers for quiet time, and if that’s out of the question, take your work into a conference room or other quiet space.

TIP: Try hiring a maid service like these in Chicago and New York City! You can focus more on your work and less on the dust!

MUTE-01Limit Technology

Spending a just a few minutes each day checking personal e-mail or texting is not a problem but doing it in excess can be detrimental to your day.  I turn off my email and text alerts during work hours so they don’t distract me, then I dedicate a couple times a day to check for anything urgent. The key is to check, and move on if not pressing.

Organize Your Space

It’s so easy to catch sight of something that will only take a couple of minutes and stop working on the big stuff to address the little things. Don’t let visual distractions cost you important focused time. Keep your desk clean and put the urgent items in file stackers or a tray. Anything else file away out of site!