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  • How To Properly Start A Successful Business

    How To Properly Start A Successful Business

    A business is a legally recognized organization designed to provide goods and/or services to consumers. There are various types of business entities that can be formed in different countries, which are dictated by national or state laws and regulations, such as corporations, cooperatives, partnerships, sole traders, etc. The most common type of business entity is the corporation also known as a company limited by shares which have some features similar to those of both an individual and legal person.

    This article describes how to properly start a successful business, what necessary steps need to be followed in order to ensure success for any new company.

    Prepare a Business Plan 

    Starting a business is no easy task. Before you even think about finding employees, renting an office space, or putting up flyers on telephone poles; it’s important to write down your ideas and get them into paper. If you don’t know the first thing about writing business plans, fear not! There are tons of resources across the web for this exact purpose (including Wikihow). There are professional business planning advisors you can reach out to online if you want to create a solid business plan. You have to remember that while there are many agencies and individuals offering this service, you need to take the extra effort of doing research and determining which one suits your business needs best.  

    It’s also incredibly helpful to consult with an experienced individual in your field before beginning your business–just make sure that they’re trustworthy! Some of them will try to sell you consulting services (that usually end up costing more than what they’re worth), while others will be able to give you the advice you need for free. Either way, it’s a good idea to have a plan going into business, and doing this step first is going to save you both time and money later on down the road.

    Choose an Appropriately Attractive Name for Your Business

    While it might seem like a trivial detail now, choosing an appropriate name is actually quite important. Customers often base their decision about whether or not to buy something on how interested they are in its brand; if you want someone to at least give your product a chance, make sure you pick something catchy and memorable (a clever pun can also go a long way). It’s a good idea to consult a professional name generator for ideas, but also have a backup list ready in case you can’t find anything suitable.

    Perform an Appropriate Market Analysis 

    Consider your customer demographics, competition, pricing structure, etc. Conduct thorough research to determine how viable your business would be in today’s economy/marketplace. While being creative is important when designing a product or service that will set your business apart from its competitors, it doesn’t matter if there isn’t a market for it! Also, market analysis helps you read trends and understand indicators that your business is ready for growth or diversification. All too often entrepreneurs forget about market analysis while planning their businesses–and while some go on to be successful, many fail.  

    Explore Funding Options 

    When you start a business, there are lots of ways to fund your efforts. The first thing that you’ll want to think about is how much money you have on hand and what additional resources can be acquired easily or at little cost. You may find more success in securing funding if you can offer something in exchange (such as sweat equity). There are many sources for the money: friends and family members; credit cards; loans from financial institutions; angel investors; venture capitalists; crowd-funding; grants; and self-funding. Learn more about the specific types of funding available.

    Define Your Business Model 

    Once you’ve figured out what products or services your business will offer and the price points that the public is willing to pay for them; it’s time to think about how you’re going to provide these things! The business model doesn’t have to be incredibly complicated–it just has to work for you and your customers. Some businesses offer a subscription service (i.e. Netflix, Spotify), while other companies sell their products and then collect payment upon delivery (Amazon). You could also develop a business that does both of these things! 

    Find the Right Employees 

    Whether you’re opening up a restaurant or starting your own web design company; it’s important to remember that if you want to be successful at a business, you need employees who are equally as passionate about what they do as you are about your company! Hiring people who share your vision and values is essential to developing and maintaining great customer relations–and without those two things, your business can never truly thrive.

    Formulate a Marketing Plan

    The best way to start a successful business is by having a clear marketing plan. Although your business might be brilliant, it’s not going to draw in customers if they don’t know about it. Your marketing plan doesn’t have to include every single detail from now until your business closes down, but you should at least know what the overall strategy will be and how you’ll achieve that goal.

    Once you’re sure of your marketing plan, write whatever relevant information needs to be included into a document that can easily be edited later on if needed – this could include: types of promotions or advertisements that will likely attract attention; places where promotional materials should appear; and an overview of management strategies such as who deals with setting prices and discounts and who’s in charge of what product.

    Gather Your Resources

    You can’t sell anything if you don’t have any stock, so plan ahead and get the most out of your resources. Make sure to purchase items in bulk when they go on sale or through corporate discounts, which will help keep costs down while also increasing available supplies for future projects. If you’re not quite ready to make large purchase orders, ask around; maybe one of your friends or family would be willing (or knows someone who would be willing) to provide some goods at a discount rate.

    Finding suppliers is another important step in getting started with profitable business ventures; this could mean signing contracts with global manufacturing firms, networking with similar businesses in your area, or asking for recommendations from anyone else who’s had experience with similar projects in the past. If you’re unsure of where to start, consider looking for suppliers that specialize in products or materials that are compatible with your business plan; this will help keep costs down and ensure that all involved businesses are committed to the project.

    To ensure that both large and small businesses are able to find success in today’s marketplace; there has been an increased interest in starting new companies throughout the world over the last decade or so! While every industry is different from one another, with various paths of entry into what they do–they all share one thing in common: the need for planning.

  • 5 Tips And Tools To Boost Site UX

    5 Tips And Tools To Boost Site UX

    Over the last few years, technological advancement has made it easier for people to access online services. Businesses are now using websites and web applications to connect with their target audiences worldwide. It has become an effective marketing strategy that helps boost the popularity of a business and increase its customer base.

    But it’s important to understand that the experience a customer will have with your site may affect the success of your brand. The concept of user experience (UX) has evolved in recent years, focusing on the customer and their needs. Businesses can now utilize various tools and tips to analyze user interactions on a website. Through this, they can develop relevant content that meets their user’s requirements, thereby improving their site UX.

    The information provided below gives a more in-depth look at site UX, what it is, and the tools and tips you can use to improve it, among other things. Continue reading.

    What Is Site UX?

    Site UX refers to the experience a user will have with your website as they navigate web pages. Do they understand your site’s content? Is it easy to navigate the web pages? Or will they have a frustrating experience with your website? Such questions will help you in gaining insight into your site’s UX status.

    Most people may confuse site UX with site usability. Although these two terms are often used interchangeably, there’s a distinct difference between the two. Site UX is about what a user thinks of your website while they were on it. It can be based on whether or not they believe you have appropriate or engaging content. Usability, on the other hand, refers to how easy it is for users to navigate your website when they’re searching for specific content. This has a lot to do with how technically effective your site’s structure is.

    Optimizing your SEO will help boost your rankings in the search results page (SERP). When customers land on your page and have a positive experience, you’ll have a better chance of growing your website traffic and conversions.

    In addition, a sitemap creator will also play a huge role in improving your ranking. Conduct extensive research to identify the ideal service for site mapping.

    Tips and Tools To Boost Site UX

    There are several ways you can use to boost the user experience, they include:

    1. Optimizing Your Loading Speed

    Your slow-loading site may frustrate your users, forcing them to visit your competitor’s website instead. To avoid this, upgrade your loading speed so that visitors can quickly determine whether or not they’d want to do business with you.

    Slow page speed can increase bounce rates. But thanks to technological advancements, you can now easily resolve this issue. There are tools that suggest how you can optimize your loading speed. One of the ways to do this is by compressing images before uploading them on your website.

    2. Following Standard Website Design Practices

    Each visitor expects to see some necessary elements during their first visit to your site. There are helpful components that you should incorporate when designing your site to make it easier for visitors to navigate your web pages.

    Instead of reinventing the wheel when improving your site UX, it’s advisable to use well-established practices in the design development. The following are the standard thought processes you should follow to improve user experience:

    • Include a Functional Search Bar: When designing your site, ensure that there’s a search bar on the header. This will make it easier for visitors to search for specific content without moving from one page to another. As a result, your customers will be less frustrated.
    • Add a Contact Page: Some people may find it hard to navigate through sites in this digital era. Thus, creating a contact page on your website will make it easier for visitors to communicate with you when they experience issues.

    3. Use Heat Map Tools

    Utilizing heat mapping tools will play a huge role in improving the site UX. A data mapping tool is a data visualization system that converts user behavior into a graphical representation. It’ll allow you to understand how users engage in particular areas of your site.

    For instance, your site’s hottest areas or most popular regions receive higher engagement than others. With this, you can gain crucial information, such as which buttons on your site the users are clicking, which pages they’re visiting the most, and much more.

    There are heat mapping tools you can use to measure user behavior on a website, and they include:

    Click Maps

    This tool shows what users often click on your website. This information will make you understand how compelling prompts and calls to action (CTAs) grab the attention of your potential leads. You can also identify problems with your site through this. For example, if you notice that very few users are clicking a certain button, you can conduct extensive research to identify the reason behind it so you can optimize your conversion rate.

    Scroll Maps

    This tool records user behaviors that have to do with the problems they encounter with the site’s format. For instance, users who stop scrolling halfway could indicate that they’ve suddenly lost interest or are experiencing issues while navigating your web page. Use the recommended solutions to address such concerns.

    4. Optimize The Site For Mobile Devices

    In recent years, the percentage of smartphone usage for online transactions, web browsing and app utilization have increased. For this reason, it’s important to optimize your site for devices such as mobile phones and tablets. Failure to optimize your sites may affect user experience and drive visitors to your competitor’s website.

    Also, with the growing trend for virtual working, ensure your sites can adapt seamlessly to work both on mobile and desktop devices without compromising the performance or quality.

    5. Use Conversion Funnels Tools

    Conversion funnels are tools used to understand the flow of visiting customers. Just as physical funnels guide liquids into an opening, a conversion funnel will guide the customers to the last desired action (purchase or a conversion event).

    In its basic form, the tool may follow the classic AIDA model (Awareness, Interest, Desire, and Action). While it can boost user experience, some visitors may lose interest along the way, reducing your conversion rate. For this reason, it’s important to utilize innovative ways to optimize your conversion funnel tools. For instance, you can educate customers on your product’s benefits and develop an increasingly smooth transition from the top of the funnel to the bottom.

    Bottom Line

    As discussed above, boosting your site UX may improve your ranking, leading to increased traffic. Conduct extensive research to identify the ideal tip or tool you can use to boost user experience. Also, learning more about your users may play a huge role in improving site UX.

  • Common Workplace Injuries That You Need to Be Aware Of

    Common Workplace Injuries That You Need to Be Aware Of

    In the United States, there are an estimated 2 million workplace injuries each year. While many of these injuries are minor and can be treated easily, others can lead to long-term disability or death. Employees need to be aware of the most common workplace injuries to protect themselves from harm. 

    If you suffer from work-related injuries, you are entitled to compensation. According to lawyers at workinjuryrights.com, having a work injury attorney is often the best way to achieve the compensation you deserve. The benefits received through workers’ comp can help pay medical bills and protect an employee’s financial future if they can no longer work due to their injury.

    This article will discuss some of the most common workplace injuries.

    Slip and Falls

    A slip and fall injury occurs when an individual sustains an injury due to a slippery surface or inadequate safety precautions.

    Some of the most common surfaces for slipping include wet or oily areas, loose flooring materials, rugs, floors made of ice or snow, stairs, stepladders without proper handrails, walkways with protruding objects, and uneven ground.

    Differentiate between slips and falls because the two injuries often result from similar circumstances. Slip means that one’s foot slides out from under them while falling, implying that the person hits the ground.

    While anyone can slip on a slick surface, people who take certain medications may find themselves unable to keep their balance after losing traction beneath their feet. Regardless of whether someone slips or falls, injuries such as broken bones and head trauma can occur.

    Repetitive Motion Disorders

    These conditions typically develop when an individual performs the same task repeatedly for hours at a time without taking breaks. Some of the most common repetitive motion disorders include carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis and tendinosis, and shoulder problems such as rotator cuff disorder and impingement syndrome.

    Symptoms vary slightly depending on which part of the body is affected, but may include:

    • Pain.
    • Muscle weakness associated with the injury.
    • Inflammation around affected joints.
    • Loss of ability to move or grip objects normally.

    The most effective way to protect oneself against these injuries is to take short breaks throughout one workday, stretch and warm up before engaging in any tasks requiring repetitive motions, and ensure that one’s work area is well lit and safe.

    Electrocution

    Electrocution occurs when electricity travels through a person’s body, causing significant damage to the heart and other major organs. People who receive an electrical shock often do not realize that they have been injured until much later, due to numbness or tingling around the injury site.

    Any source of electricity including faulty wiring, ground faults, power lines outside one’s home or business, frayed extension cords plugged into indoor outlets, overloaded sockets, coming into contact with water while standing on wet ground or swimming in a pool, using appliances during storms, and lightning can cause electrocutions.

    Protective steps include turning off any equipment during electrical storms to avoid lightning strikes and avoiding all electrical equipment if standing water is in the area.

    Fire And Explosions

    Combustible and flammable materials such as paper, chemicals, welding supplies, and electrical equipment are the most common causes of fires. 

    There is a risk for explosions due to organic peroxides used in chemical manufacturing or laboratories. Other explosion risks include using gasoline-powered lawn mowers indoors and smoking cigarettes while working with chemicals.

    To prevent fire and explosion, employees should adhere to all safety protocols regarding hazardous materials and ensure that all machinery is properly vented not to allow combustible fumes to build up. Fire detectors and extinguishers should be placed throughout work areas in an emergency.

    Motor vehicle accidents

    Motor vehicle accidents are perhaps the most common workplace injury caused by a lack of physical readiness, distractions while driving, failure to obey traffic laws, or being struck by another driver speeding or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Of all fatal workplace injuries, 29% are due to car accidents. 

    While everyone should ensure that their vehicles are well maintained before operating them for work-related tasks, companies must take additional measures for drivers whose jobs necessitate heavy lifting or frequent travel outside the home. These include ensuring that employees have access to reliable transportation that meets their needs and enforcing strict policies about distracted driving and drug and alcohol use behind the wheel.

    Overexertion Injuries

    Physical stress at work can cause muscles to rapidly contract and expand while straining joints, bones, tendons, and ligaments. Exertion injuries that may result include:

    • Muscle strain or tear.
    • Tendinitis or tendinosis (inflammation of the tendon).
    • Bursitis (swelling of the fluid sac located around the joint area).
    • Arthritis.

    Symptoms include pain while attempting to move a specific joint if it has been affected by injury. To prevent overexertion injuries, employees with physically demanding jobs should ensure that proper equipment is being used for heavy lifting or any other activities that might be difficult on the body. Additionally, stretching before engaging in rigorous activity allows one’s muscles to warm up and reduces the likelihood of injury.

    Violence at work

    Injuries from violence by another party while on the job may occur anywhere from a construction site to an office environment where other employees are abusive towards one another. 

    Any area that is not well-monitored or securely protected poses a danger for violence, especially if the perpetrator has easy access to weapons such as knives. 

    Workers are encouraged to protect themselves against threats of violence through:

    • Self-defense classes.
    • Carrying alarms.
    • Wearing protective clothing or backpack inserts.
    • Installing metal detectors or security cameras at entrances/exits.
    • Establishing a positive rapport with neighbors in the case of shared elevator/walkways.

    Animal bites

    Being bitten by any animal, whether wild or domesticated, may result in being infected by an animal-borne disease such as rabies if the wound is not treated immediately. If one comes into contact with an animal, they are particularly susceptible to contracting a fatal illness. You should take post-exposure treatment within 24 hours. Even when there is no risk of death or infection, it is essential to seek medical attention after being bitten by an unknown creature because excessive bleeding can occur through puncture wounds and lacerations, leading to shock if not correctly cared for.

    In summary, workers should be aware of injuries they may suffer while on the job and how these events can impact their safety and well-being. Every workplace is unique, so preventative measures will depend on working. Those who feel uncomfortable with the amount of risk their occupation poses are encouraged to seek guidance in exploring other available options within or outside your field.

  • An Easy-To-Follow Guide on Getting Started With Moonbeam GLMR Token

    An Easy-To-Follow Guide on Getting Started With Moonbeam GLMR Token

    Moonbeam is an exciting new blockchain project that enables you to send and receive XEM cryptocurrency payments via the peer-to-peer network. This is done without the need for servers, meaning your private key will never be transmitted or stored outside of your computer. To learn more about Moonbeam, read on 

    How Does Moonbeam Crypto Work?

    Moonbeam Crypto works on a decentralized platform. It creates an environment that allows users to interact with their devices and still be able to use them for other things. With this platform, you are allowed to share data with other people without having to worry about the infiltration of your system. The team behind the project has decided to make an ecosystem that will allow users to use their devices without taking control over them, and also enable them to do other things on the same device. Think of it as a bus: If you want to go somewhere, you can walk there. However, if someone else wants to use the same bus, you are allowed to travel together with them until they get out of the bus.

    The team behind Moonbeam has created this platform so that users will no longer have to worry about people taking control of their devices secretly while doing other things on the same device. Moonbeam also highly values a decentralized system of operation, which means that it is more difficult for people to hack this ecosystem. Participation in Moonbeam is open to everyone whose device is compatible with this platform. All you need to do is download the app and start sharing your data with other people.

    which is why you need to make sure that you buy GLMR tokens as soon as possible.

    How To Download A Moonbeam Wallet

    The first step of getting started with your GLMR is to run the Moonbeam wallet. This process will take a little bit longer than usual, as it needs to download the entire blockchain before you can start using it. Once this process has finished, open the wallet and write down your “seed.” You are going to need this seed to get your wallet up and running again if you need to. This is the address that people will use to send GLMR tokens to you. 

    You should save this somewhere where it cannot be tampered with, but also somewhere where you can get to it if need be. You can now start mining. The Moonbeam wallet will allow you to connect to the Moonbeam blockchain and begin processing transactions. To transact effectively, you may constantly need to know the exchange rate of GLMR with other cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Dash, and so on. This is a good reason why you should use a GLMR calculator to help get the right rates every time. Although you can choose how much bandwidth you would like to dedicate towards this process, it is recommended that you give it all of your available processing power if possible, as this will increase the chances to earn more Moonbeam tokens.

    How Do You Store Moonbeam?

    Moonbeam is stored in your wallet. Make sure that when storing your Moonbeam on an exchange or in a wallet, use 2-factor authorization, so it increases security for your account. You can also use cold storage to store your tokens securely in an encrypted code that only you know the password for. Moonbeam has created a platform that enables users to connect with their devices and use them to buy products and services from other users without worrying about infiltration. You can use Moonbeam to make money or use it for peer-to-peer sharing of resources.

    Mining Moonbeam GLMR Token 

    There are two routes to go about the mining process. The first is to use your CPU, which works but is incredibly inefficient and slow compared to GPU Mining because GPUs have a lot more hash power per unit of energy expended. Generally speaking, it should be impossible to mine using your CPU alone. The other route is GPU Mining. GPUs are more efficient than CPUs for running the algorithms that make up GLMR Tokens, but there is one other major disadvantage. It should be noted, however, that if you’re planning to mine solo (not Pool), then it’s worth mining with your CPU because the token profits will have to cover the costs of electricity used in your home and time spent mining. If the electricity is subsidized, however, mining with your CPU can be very profitable.

    To get started, you need to download the appropriate mining software. The two most popular ones are CudaMiner and CPUMiner. Cudaminer is only compatible with Nvidia GPUs, while CPU Miner works on both AMD/Nvidia GPUs. The way you set up the mining software is slightly different depending on which you will be using. When downloading the mining software, you need to make sure it is compatible with your operating system.

    The next step is to choose which blockchain you want to mine on. MoonbeamGLMR currently has two Blockchains, testnet and mainnet. A testnet blockchain is a place for developers to try out new features and conduct QA testing without using real tokens, while the mainnet blockchain does not have this luxury of a safety net and always has live tokens in circulation. You can use whichever one you feel most comfortable mining on. If you are a developer, it is recommended to mine on testnet as your tokens are sent to the mainnet they can no longer be retrieved.

    If you are mining on the mainnet, it is recommended to create an account to send and receive tokens. After all of these, you are ready to start mining. You must run your miner with the correct settings for the blockchain you are on, whether it be mainnet or testnet. If you do not input the correct information, it will take far longer to solve a block and in turn, make fewer tokens for yourself.

    Stake GLMR Tokens To Earn Staking Reward

    You can take part in Moonbeam staking rewards by simply locking up your GLMR tokens in the official web wallet that comes with a built-in function for the staking reward systems. Make sure you have at least 10 GLMR tokens in your account. All you have to do is to sign up for a free account at moonbeam cash and transfer all of your GLMR tokens into that new web wallet, then let the staking process begin automatically after an OOTB mint of 10,000 Moonbeam coins has been successfully established within your account.

    Once the transaction is done, you can use your referral link to bring over your friends and family members to use the wallet. You will be entitled to 10% of all GLMR tokens that they own once they sign up for a Moonbeam account. You can use those newly acquired GLMR tokens for free trading on digital currency exchanges such as OpenLedger DEX and use those as part of your daily trading activities as long as the tokens remain within your control. The more GLMR token you own, the better your chances of staking rewards because you will be entitled to a higher percentage of minting rewards once Moonbeam becomes fully operational on its MainNet platform.

    There are many use cases for Moonbeam, and this guide should have given you insight into why you need to be part of this platform right now. The use cases that they have set out to accomplish are also well within reach, so you should consider buying Moonbeam tokens, staking them, and keep on earning more GLMR tokens over time.

  • What Are Employee Testimonials? How Do They Help In Attracting Best Talent?

    What Are Employee Testimonials? How Do They Help In Attracting Best Talent?

    More than 70% of the World’s Most Attractive Employers (WMAE) believe that employer branding should be one of the top priorities of the companies. And there is a reason behind this– your reputation as an employer determines the sort of candidates that apply to get jobs in your company. If you have a bad name in the market, a major portion of the good and highly-skilled candidates will keep searching for a better option than you.

    However, it is your job to convince the new candidates that your company offers a great workplace environment and has a valuable internal culture. In order to convince them, you can turn to your employees to become the mouthpiece for your company. New candidates find employee testimonials to be highly-relatable which helps them build an emotional connection as well.

    In this blog, we’ll see what employee testimonials are and why are they important? Moreover, we’ll also take a look at some ways to collect impactful testimonials and some examples too. Without any further ado, let’s jump right into it.

    What is an Employee Testimonial?

    Employee testimonials are official statements from employees that explain their overall experience with your firm. It describes what they like about their job in your company, how they feel to work here, what a typical day looks like at the workplace, how they developed personally and professionally, and much more. Employees might also suggest why eligible clients should prefer working here.

    Employee testimonials have the power to paint your firm in a great light. However, if you amalgamate it with employee stories, it’ll be much more effective. A story elevates an ordinary employee testimonial. You can put an example/story of something that the firm did for the specific employee to show your company’s culture and values in action.

    These testimonials can be shared in many forms: photos, video, interviews, articles, social media posts, etc.

    Why Are Employee Testimonials So Important?

    When 84% of the job seekers are saying that the reputation of a firm as an employer is one of the biggest factors that affect their decision to apply for a position, you should take it seriously without any second thoughts. The job seeker today only wants to work for companies that value innovation and inspire purpose. They want to work for a company that offers surety regarding professional growth. And to get a coveted position, these candidates don’t mind doing a little extra research.

    Customer testimonials are important and there’s no doubt about that. Candidates prefer to hear the lockdown directly from the horse’s mouth. It is mainly because normal employees are more relatable to these candidates than the CEOs of the company. You need to give more importance to these testimonials to gain control of the narrative.

    Collect Impactful Employee Testimonials

    We know how crucial employee testimonials are, but it can be challenging to begin with collecting these testimonials. You can make this process easier for yourself by following these tips listed below:

    Do not script

    One of the first things that an employee testimonial needs to be is sound natural. You don’t want your staff to ramble, the testimonials that they come up with should be crisp and consequential. If you are presenting these testimonials in the form of an interview, give them a basic idea of its structure and topic to talk about.

    But it is also essential to ensure that the video you post is not scripted. A scripted video will only ruin things for your firm as it would look like the employee(s) is forced to say positive things about the brand.

    Answer their questions

    Even if you employees have a story to tell, it can be difficult for them to reel out a speech. You can give your questions to the employees beforehand, so they at least know what to answer. It will make things natural for them and their flow look natural. Asking questions out loud and giving them a few minutes to frame an answer is also a good option, you can always edit the video in post-production.

    Capture emotions

    People don’t want to see robots in the videos. You want your employees to be as relatable with your potential candidates as they can be. You can ask your employees to talk about their personal connection with the brand. If the candidates like their experience, they’ll be more than eager to join your firm.

    Do not overdo

    You need to keep your testimonials as short and sweet as you can. Candidates are not likely to see long videos just for the testimonials. All they want is a snapshot of your firm’s culture. Try to stick to a single topic in one video. When your videos are short, they can be shared on social media platforms too.

    3 Great Employee Testimonials Example

    Here are three of the great employee testimonial examples that we gathered from different industries and in distinct formats. You can take inspiration from these companies and then work with your employees to put out a consequential testimonial.

    Capgemini

    Format: A combination of short videos and text interviews

    Capgemini offers a good collection of testimonials of their employees across the company. These employee testimonials are in the form of short videos, and some key excerpts are presented in a question-answer format.

    This combination is quite effective for Capgemini as it allows the audience to skim through the content if they are short on time, and can see the whole video if they want to know deeply about the experience.

    Nike

    Format: Montage video and employee journeys

    In their employee testimonial segment, Nike has done what Nike does best– creating short montage videos of employees and moments at Nike. The infectious music that they put in the video hooks the candidates to see what’s coming.

    In the video, some selected employees share their joining process and how they felt after it. There are some behind the scenes and inspiring words too that allure candidates towards Nike’s mission.

    P&G

    Format: “Day 1” employee video stories

    P&G is a global company, reinforced by quality employees present across the world. They have shared testimonials of employees from all over the world (US, Brazil, Singapore, etc.) When candidates see the video of individuals from all over the world, they see an opportunity to relocate, and this is exactly what P&G seeks in their potential candidates.

    The videos shared by P&G are engaging because you get to see both the personal and professional lives of the employees, and how they are in harmony with each other. 

    Final Words

    As we have mentioned in the article, employee testimonials are a great way to attract top talents. You get to show the benefits you provide as a brand and also build an emotional connection so that when the candidates become your employee they already feel connected to the firm. You can take the best practices into consideration to easily form impactful employee testimonials.

  • How To Prepare Yourself For The Upcoming Tax Return Season

    How To Prepare Yourself For The Upcoming Tax Return Season

    Every year, taxpayers across the country will be preparing to pay their taxes. Many will more than likely wait until the last minute until they begin to file their federal income tax returns. With tips available on how to do your tax returns last minute, this will still be an option some will do this year.

    Leaving it till the last minute might be a common trend some have done every year for a while now; this year might be the time to consider trying to do your taxes early. There are many reasons for filing your taxes early, some of which include financial rewards.

    If you are hoping to be more organized this year, here are a few ways to prepare yourself for the upcoming tax return season. By starting early in your preparations for the upcoming tax season, you can reap the numerous benefits that come with being organized.

    Steps To Take To Prepare

    Filing your taxes is more than likely a task that is not high on your list of priorities at the moment. The start of a new year is often the time when you try to get into either a new routine or the old one you had before the holiday season.

    However, the upcoming tax return season will come around sooner than anticipated. When it does arrive, you do not want to be in a position where you are rushing to collect everything you need to file your tax return due to leaving it till the last possible minute. Procrastinating and pushing back when you start will only increase your chances of missing something. It could be that you have forgotten to account for a vital financial document. You may have even missed an opportunity to save yourself money since you did not claim on a specific deduction that was available to you.

    Many of these issues are easily avoidable. All you need to do to ensure that you avoid these issues is by starting the preparation process earlier than usual. If you are unsure of where to start, these are a few steps to take to help prepare you for the upcoming tax season.

    • Decide How You Will File – When filing your tax returns, you can choose to send them back electronically or send a physical copy through the post. If you choose to send it back through the post, remember that it will take a little longer for your refund to come through. Also, you will have a shorter timeframe to have it completed and sent back. Completing your tax return electronically will mean that you will have a little more time to complete it than sending a physical copy if you choose to leave it till the last minute.
    • Collect Personal Information – One of the most crucial pieces of information you should start collecting is yourself and your family. It includes the birthdates and social security information for your spouse, yourself, and any other dependents.
    • Gather Income Documents – It is impossible to file your taxes without the essential financial information on hand. Start early by collecting all the relevant paperwork from your employer and other financial accounts under your name. Having all the relevant documents at your disposable will make the process of filing your taxes far easier, as it reduces any stresses that you may have closer to the due date.
    • Find Out What You Owe – If you are filling out the form yourself, consider using online resources to help you determine how much you owe. You can use an income tax calculator Quebec to determine what you owe to prevent you from spending more or being at risk for not paying enough.
    • Look At Credits And Deductions – It is likely that the CRA (Canada Revenue Agency) will have various tax credits and deductions that you might be eligible to claim. By starting the process early, you can look over the different options to see if there could potentially help save you money. Ensure that you spend time comparing the options available, as some might have specific requirements that need additional forms to be completed and sent in.
    • Seek Professional Help – Filing your tax return can be an overwhelming task. Since there is the added pressure of completing right, it does put people under a lot of stress to complete. If you do not feel like you can complete it yourself, you can ask for help from professional tax preparers. By starting your preparations early, you can use your additional time to research tax services or potential professionals to help you file your taxes.

    Benefits Of Filing Tax Return Early

    Preparing in advance for the upcoming tax return season will offer a plethora of benefits. All of which are yours to reap should you choose to start preparations early. The most obvious benefit to filing your tax returns before is being organized. It provides you with time to ensure that you have everything you need to file your taxes. You can seek professional help early, meaning they will likely be less busy. Also, tax planning services for how to file a tax return early.

    Being organized and starting early means spending time ensuring that you have utilized the tax credits and deductions available. If there are any issues, you can resolve them as quickly as discovered. In addition to this, it can prevent you from making simple mistakes that could be costly.

    Choosing to start filing your tax return early will be something you are thankful for doing when the deadline day approaches. When you see others under copious amounts of pressure and stress to complete it on time, you can bask in the luxury of knowing that yours has been completed. You may have even received your tax refunds. There are countless benefits on offer by filing your tax returns early; these are just a selection of them.

    Faster Tax Refunds

    A common and popular reason to file your taxes earlier than usual is to receive a quicker tax refund. If you are filing your tax return electronically with a direct deposit into your bank account, it is one of the fastest ways to get your refund. If you were to send a physical copy of your tax return, it could take several weeks longer for you to receive your refund. If you want to receive your refund, quickly choose to fill out and return an e-file. Alternatively, if you did want to send in a physical copy, fill it out and send it sooner to ensure that you receive your tax refund as quickly as possible.

    Prevent Tax Extensions

    A tax extension is granted additional time provided to someone to have their tax returns filed and sent it. Obtaining an extension is something to avoid as they are most commonly given to those who are disorganized than those in financial need. If you choose to leave it till the last minute to sort your finances and gather all receipts, you increase your chances of needing the support of a tax professional. They will help you to organize your finances and complete your tax return.

     If your request for an extension is granted, yet you have not paid what you owe in the balance you have due, it is likely that the CRA will charge you interest. Both of these issues are easily avoidable by preparing your tax return earlier in the year and sending it off as soon as possible.

    Prevents Tax Return Identity Theft

    If, in the unfortunate event that someone gains access to your social insurance number, they will have the necessary pieces of information to file a tax return in your name. The reason for fraudulent tax returns is not to pay your taxes; it is done to claim and pocket your tax refund. It is an issue that happens earlier on in the tax season, usually many weeks in advance of most taxpayers choosing to start the process of filing.

    To prevent this from happening, take every precautionary step possible to keep your social insurance number protected and hidden. Additionally, if possible, aim to file your taxes as early as possible.

    The Bottom Line

    Preparing for the upcoming tax return season is a great way to keep organized. If you are taking the time to prepare yourself for the next tax season earlier than usual, consider utilizing this time to be more organized with your other finances. Look more closely at your finances and see if there is anything that you could do to improve them. If you are currently not closely monitoring their credit, now could be the best time, especially if you are already in the process of organizing.

    Preparing your finances in advance is an excellent way to ensure that nothing gets missed. It helps to prevent mistakes from being made. Most of all, organizing your finances for the upcoming tax return season can offer you peace of mind knowing that it has been sorted. You will not have to go through the stressful moments and emotions that come with leaving it till the last minute. Once you start preparing, the chances of a smoother process are higher. After you have sent your tax returns, you will have a process in place that you can use for the following year.