Archive for 2011

The Benefits of Unsecured Business Loans to Entrepreneurs


The reason the vast majority of people prefer these loans is due to the fact that they want to pay off the loan amount as quickly as possible in order to avoid paying the punitive interest. Additionally, unlike secured loans, unsecured loans are collateral free and don't carry the risk of property repossession whereby your property is seized by the lender in the event of a payment default.

if you have a small business which is in need of funding for some future business need.  then perhaps you should get a loan. Alternatively you could apply for a business line of credit. Lines of credit are designed more for a generic need to have funds available. If you have specific business plans to make specific purchases or upgrades,

you want to be able to start a new company someday. Also if you do not have any collateral to point out then you have no choice but to get an unsecured loan for your business financing.

Business loans on the other hand do not have any collateral and so they must rely on your businesses history and credit score to determine if you are likely to repay the loan or not.

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The Best Guide for You to Find the Best Life Insurance


            It is very important for you to prepare your life very well. You will not be able to predict when you will get accident that could be worse for your life. That is why having Life Insurance is very suggested to you who want to make a good plan for your life. The good news is that along with the development of the era these days, where the people’s needs are more and more complex, the number of companies that offers life insurance services increases very rapidly as well these days. They offer the same but different services for you to enjoy. That is why it might be little bit difficult for you to choose the best company that knows your needs best.
            Because of that, you are suggested to visit lifeinsurancequotes.com.au to get the best help for your problem. The thing is that this site will provide you complete information about some companies that offer you life insurance services. You will be given Life Insurance Quotes of those life insurance companies, so that you can decide yourself which company is better for you from seeing at the quotes directly. So, it will be more effective and efficient for you to find the life insurance you want.
            For you who are looking for Life Insurance Australia, then this site will provide complete quotes and information from some life insurance companies in Australia. This way, you do not need to be worried of getting lack of information about the kind of life insurance service you are going to get later. This site will definitely help you to find the best life insurance in Australia, complete with its contact number that you can call anytime you need. And of course, there will be lots of advantages and benefits that you are able to get from getting life insurance quotes from this site, including the efficiency of time and money.

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Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder – Symptoms and Medications


ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a disorder that can occur in children. This is one type of neurobehavioral disorder occurs in children. These disturbances associated with development and increased motor activities of children that can cause children's activities differ from their peers and tend to be exaggerated. Children diagnosed with ADHD have a chance to be healed. However, there are some children with this disorder continue until they are adults. Parents should be able to give an appropriate action when they discover some of the symptoms and signs of their children have the disorder. One action can be taken is to bring their child to a specialist to find out exactly what happened to their child.

Although hyperactivity can be one of ADHD symptoms, it can not make all parents with hyperactive children say that their children have ADHD. There are varieties of other disorders characterized by symptoms. Therefore, parents should be able to recognize some other symptoms of ADHD such as a lot of daydreaming, a lot of talk these things are not clear, forgetful, always restless, unfocused attention and easily distracted, as well as several other symptoms. Children diagnosed with ADHD will usually get ADHD medications from the doctor who examined him. By doing some therapy and medication regularly, children with ADHD symptoms may show improvement. Parents should not be too worried if their child shows symptoms of the disorder.

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The Advantages of Having Sexual Harassment Training Videos



            These days, people have to be really careful about any kinds of harassments that could happen to them anytime and anywhere. One of the most worrying harassment is sexual harassment. Mostly, this kind of harassment happens a lot to women. That is why sexual harassment training videos is made to help them to be more aware of the sexual harassment that could happen to them. It is known very well that women are very weak creature, that is why sexual harassment can happen easily to them. Therefore sexual harassment training videos are made to help them to be more careful in facing any kinds of sexual harassment that could happen to them anytime and anywhere.
            This kind of video is very easy to be found in the internet these days. They are made to help women to prevent the sexual harassment to happen to them in any kinds of public places, like office, bus station. Train station, and other public places. By having this kind of video, women will be more aware of anything that could happen to them very well, so that any kinds of harassment can be prevented very well either. There are lots of benefits that women can actually get from having this kind of video.
            The first important benefit is that women will be handled by professional. This way, they will be able to learn directly about how to prevent the sexual harassment directly from the experts. Besides that, this kind of thing is very easy to deploy, to track, and to manage, because they will be given the best quality and qualified services ever, such as automatic course bookmarking, a workplace harassment glossary, enhanced animations for visual learners, and many more. And of course, every progress they have will be supervised and monitored very well, so that they will be able to learn how to prevent sexual harassment very well.

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Magazine Subscriptions for Filmmakers : How to Obtain the Best Deals


Subscriptions to magazines in a particular genre are not always easy to come by. In fact, if you want to easily acquire magazines dealing with entertainment this from the newsstand, you would need to live in large areas like Hollywood or New York City. However, magazine subscriptions offer you a way to get just the subjects you’re interested in delivered to your door at a fraction of the cost of newsstand issues.
Magazine Subscriptions Related to Entertainment
If you want movie making magazine subscriptions, you should primarily focus on some powerful content related to behind the scene interviews. You should also try to read experiences of some of the great directors and also information about powerful scripts.
If you are interested in script writing, you should subscribe to magazines which provide information and experiences of top screen writers of all time. In such issues, you will find some very interesting articles on these subjects as well as other valuable content.
Magazine Subscriptions and Influential People
You can also find magazine subscription offers in the entertainment genre which spotlight some top influential people in the film industry. The content in these magazines is specialized and advanced, and can provide you with particular insights into the entertainment world.
Trade Magazines
There is numerous trade magazines which can provide you with information related to the development and production related aspects of various trades, and film making is one of them. In such magazines, you will also find specific interviews by some of the top producers, directors and captains of the movie making industry.
If you cannot afford regular magazine subscriptions, but have the desire to acquire them, it is better if you search online. By doing this, you can find some good subscriptions at affordable discounts. Purchasing magazine subscriptions online is especially beneficial when you live in a remote place where specialized magazines are not available.
You can utilize the internet and fulfill your dream by subscribing to these magazines and learn how the professionals succeed in the entertainment industry.

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Choosing the Best Web Hosting Service

In order to be able to maintain a cost effective website, you need to consider choosing the best web hosting based on your purposes of building a website. Web hosting services are varied in to several specific service features that will support certain needs. In order to find the best web hosting you need to know what tools that you need to build such website you want to develop. As today building website is no longer a hard thing to do, you can make use tools that are available to help you maximize your website performance and looks. You can choose web hosting which specifies on price, features, and also type of website that you want to create easily online.
Cheap web hosting services are not limited for shared web hosting and VPS web hosting services. You can also find dedicated web hosting services which you can afford in cheaper price. You need to use the references that you can find easily online so that you can get reliable references for each web hosting service. You can also find references based on the classification of the service that you want to get, such as the type of the server, features that you want to get, and also inexpensive web hosting choices.

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Work Is Not My Job

Organizations are slowly waking up to a recent plague that is consuming many employees; they complain saying "My work is not my job."
Is there a difference between the job and the work? A big one!
It is common knowledge that job applicants beef up their resume to show more than what they can really offer; sometimes though, it works the other way.
Yes, organizations can sometimes exaggerate the job profiles they offer; this is mostly done when employers feel that the not-so-glamorous work will not attract good talent. At other times, this is unintentional and creeps in slowly after the individual starts working for the company; this is mainly due to poor management on the part of the boss.
Before we see how such a situation can impact us and what we can do to remedy it, let's first define the terms -

A job is what is advertised; it includes information on the profile, responsibilities, designation and the skills required.Work on the other hand is what one lands up doing after getting employed. This is the real face of what is advertised (meaning the job) and is what one has to adapt to in order to succeed.
In today's fast changing work environment it is almost assumed that conditions will change on the fly and most interviewers will state during the interview that the ideal candidate should expect 'ad-hoc' tasks to come up from time to time.
Most of us would quickly nod in agreement when the interviewer states the need for changing duties; why risk losing a perfectly sounding job over remote uncertainties. But once employed, it is our responsibility, towards oneself and the employer, to ensure that the actual work remains in sync with the profile.
The impact of not aligning work to the job profile can result in the following;
Loss of Interest - You, as the employee, would most likely expect a certain challenge along with the paycheck and chances are that if you don't find that job satisfaction, you can quickly get frustrated and bored.
Loss of Efficiency - More from the perspective of the employer, if the employee is not given the job as per the profile, chances are that there would be a mismatch in task to skill mapping. This would make the results less efficient.
Limited Credit - Very often the ad-hoc tasks do not have significant impact; doing them will take effort and time but doesn't always result in appreciation.
Loss of Respect - Supporting smaller jobs and running less impactful processes will reduce your importance in the organization and lessen your image in the eyes of colleagues.
No Pay Hikes / Promotions - If an employee doesn't perform (due to lack of interest or relevant skills) the chances of year-end bonuses are bleak.
Attrition - Not a good scenario for either the employee or the employer; changing jobs should be a last measure, but this seemingly easy option, it is often resorted to.
But there's hope; here's what you can do if you find yourself in such a situation;
1. Rationalize - Not all extra work is bad; sometimes when you start a job you have to be broken it with smaller tasks so that you can shoulder bigger responsibility. Try and understand how the work fits in with the overall job profile.
2. Research - The Internet makes the world a lot easier to navigate and you should use this tool along with conversations with colleagues to analyze whether the activities you're doing are actually part of the job. If so, switching employers will still land you in a similar situation, not resolving the situation.
3. Discuss - Most issues can be sorted by having a candid conversation with the right set of people, in this case, your manager. With an open mind bring up the activities that seem to be outside your scope of work; listen to what your manager has to say and fall back to the previous point on rationalization.
4. Accept - All jobs have some amount of unintelligent tasks associated with them. While you will not see these in the job description written by the employer, you should accept it as part of a better whole.
5. Act - If nothing else works, take control of your career and act accordingly. If you work in a profile for a long time, you may not be able to break out of it even by switching jobs. It is best to correct the situation as soon as you realize that the job is not working out for you.

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Ways to Find the Perfect Career

There are people who enter the work field every day to start a career that they have wanted to do since before they entered college. Many people find something in college that interests them, and they go with that. For others, they really have no idea what kind of job they want to do and just get tossed into any field. This can end up working out all right, or it can lead to a disastrous job mentality for the person.
One way to determine what career is right choice for an individual is to take career tests. These tests can help people to not only learn which career might be positive for them, but also to teach them a little more about themselves. Being more self-aware can always help in reaching goals that may create happiness. These tests ask a multitude of questions to get an idea of what the person would be useful and happy doing.
If a test seems useless, another thing to look at is activities the individual enjoys doing. This is one of the best ways to decide on a career that will result in happiness. Many people do not realize that there are many careers relevant to things they do every day. Granted some of these jobs may not pay the most, but what is better money or dreading getting up every morning?
For the people who really have no idea what interests them, they should pay closer attention to their habits. What kind of people are they associated with? What really pushes their buttons? Where do they like to spend their time? All of these questions are important. Realizing that as an individual there are many things that are represented can lead to discovering what the individual is passionate about.
After an idea for a career choice has been developed then the next step is to do research. Find what kind of training is needed for the position. Is the pay the right amount? Money is not everything, but most people still need to feed themselves. Is there a location this career is more prominent in? Would that be a place the person would like to live in? Does this job require work most people do not know about? There really is no wrong question to ask. It is better to know than get hired later and realize it is the wrong career.
If a career choice is found there are ways to getting the best insider information. If someone is known who works in this field get in touch with them about more information or maybe even spending a day at their job. If the individual does not know anyone, they can easily use sites like Twitter and Facebook to find someone that could give them more information.
Having a career that is enjoyed is a valuable part of life. Most people will spend almost one third of their lives at a job. The best thing they can do is find a career instead.

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A Perfect Career Is a Perfect Marriage

There are two ways to make it in business; doing something better than everyone else, or doing something new. This balance of innovation and development is what has fueled the universal economy since the beginning of time.
In my opinion most people start out by trying to create something new but almost inevitably get deterred. The high idealism of college and the university is temporized by the hard realities of making a living and meeting ones real-life responsibilities. And so the tragic reverse alchemy takes place in the hearts and minds of hopeful entrepreneur and the search for novelty is transformed to the consistency of mediocrity.
Not for a moment will I blame someone for not being an innovator of for giving up on his or her ambitions. Making a living is one of the most difficult challenges in life and for those who prefer the safety of a nine-to-five job I don't think it right to hold it against them.
But there are some field was creativity and novelties are literally the name of the game. I'm referring of course to the world of fashion. I live and breathe with the seasons and follow trends as diligently as a Talmudist. And one of the joys of the clothing business is having to constantly come up with new ways of selling everyday necessities like clothing.
So here is one idea that I saw recently while I was window shopping on black Friday. I was walking down the streets of Manhattan and saw a store with a major twist. They had the traditional store mannequins in the display window but this time something was different. The mannequins did not have regular mannequin heads; they had the heads of exotic birds. It was so interesting to see colorful parrots and horn bills looking out at me from atop the most ordinary mannequins bodies. Then it occurred to me, the person who conceived of this advertising idea was brilliant. They did not go looking for custom mannequins which could have run them thousands of dollars, they simply got the exotic bird heads and affixed them to ordinary mannequins. It was brilliant.
I mention this as an example of someone going to an everyday nine-to-five job and yet managing to be innovative and creative at the same time. The world of design, whether it be on the internet or web site development or fashion is full of remarkable and unique minds. Design is a world were safety and consistency meets trailblazing and creativity on a daily basis.
So if you are considering which career path to pursue you might want to think about a field which combines vision and consistency, from my experience I can confidently say that you will not regret it.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6724248

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Paralegal Career Information: What Is The Salary Range For Paralegals?

Laws are pertinent in every place. They are present in the society to protect individuals against crime. But laws are somewhat confusing. For that reason, lawyers are there to apply them when settling disputes. Lawyers may offer legal services to hundreds of clients each year. To help them take care the legal matters for their clients, they hire paralegals or commonly known as legal assistants. This profession is one of the most popular careers for individuals who wish to be in the field of law but do not want to carry the burden of becoming a lawyer.
Some areas of law where paralegals can work:
• Trademark
• Intellectual property
• Family and domestic issues
• Environmental protection
• Civil litigation
• Personal injury
• Estate planning
• Real estate
• Tax
• Corporate
Paralegal salary range
If you are looking for a career path that offers lucrative salary range, then paralegal careers can be your best option. This is especially true if you want to be in the field of law but does not want to carry out duties of a lawyer.
Paralegal salaries may depend on the following factors:
• Education
• Training
• Geographic location
• Experience
• Type of firm and specialty
Just like any other professions, you can earn higher salaries if you have excellent educational background and extensive experience and training in the field of paralegals. In the world of paralegals, those who work in the city earn higher than those who are assigned in less populated areas.
The type of firm and specialty is also a determining factor of how much salary you will be receiving in a year.
• Paralegals in intellectual property and trademark may receive median salaries of $50,000 to $55,000.
• Paralegals working in a hospital may have a median salary of $46,000.
• Paralegals assigned in insurance law may enjoy an annual salary of $50,000.
As you gain more exposure and experience, you will receive higher salaries than the median. For instance, if you are promoted to become a senior litigation, you can make $59,000 a year.
Those who work in the government and non-profit agencies make the lowest median salary.
How to boost your chances of earning higher as a paralegal?
As mentioned earlier, paralegals who earn more are those with higher education and years of experience in the field. For that reason, you might want to take a look at some of the paralegal accredited schools that offer advanced paralegal courses and paralegal training. These factors are indicators that you are truly committed to your chosen career.
Earning advanced paralegal education may take months to a year depending on the chosen specialty.
Can a paralegal become a lawyer?
Many people consider paralegal careers as a way for them to determine whether or not they can survive in the field of law. Some paralegals proceed to practice as a lawyer by enrolling in one of the prestigious law schools in the country. For them, becoming a lawyer has become easier because they already have a background when it comes to the application and implementation of laws.
Paralegals earn a decent salary. Depending on your education, training, experience, geographic location and type of firm, you can earn as low as $30,000 a year or as high as $70,000 per year.

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Relaxing Can Translate Into an Improved Bottom Line

I love lying in bed of a morning and listening to the rain during a good thunderstorm. I find this to be one of the most relaxing things in the world. While I don't actually sleep, my whole body relaxes and I just don't want to move. It truly is an amazing sensation, and thus, one of my favorite things.
What are some of your favorite things that help make you relax? As a dentist and owner of a dental practice are any of these things something that you can use to build an interior branding message around? Perhaps you really appreciate sipping a good cup of coffee or tea and reading the daily New York Times in a leather wing backed chair? Or, perhaps you really relax when you have a manicure? Either of these are things that can be the start of building a strong interior branding message for your dental practice.
The key to the message is twofold. First, you want to pick a message that sets your practice off from your competition - one that is unique to you and reflects who you are as a person and business owner. Second, you want to pick something that helps people to relax. We are all aware of the anxiety that so many people face when visiting their dentist. This is why so many people cancel appointments and avoid getting regular dental care. If through your interior branding message you can help people become more relaxed, they are less likely to cancel their next appointment, tell their friends and family about the positive experience they've had, and become a regular patient rather than just a casual one.
Once you've settled on your "theme" for your interior brand the next step is to begin incorporating this into the interior design of your dental office. It may be as easy as buying that leather wing backed chair, subscribing to the New York Times, and keeping a pot of good coffee brewed throughout the day with a collection of stoneware mugs for patients to use. Or, you may be able to section of space reclaimed from transitioning to EMR to bring in a nail tech to provide manicures onsite. The key is to look for little ways to start incorporating these relaxing touches sooner rather than later. There is no reason to wait until you relocate the office or have a major remodel done. Your dental practice will start seeing the benefits of more relaxed, more eager to give referrals, and less likely to cancel appointments patients right away!
James is a regular lecturer and writer on dental office design, green design, and interior branding and also serves as an Adjunct Instructor in the interior design department at The Art Institute of Indianapolis. With offices in Dallas, Indianapolis, New York, and Wisconsin, James is on the road regularly meeting with clients and speaking with dentists about their design needs. His work has been featured in Building Excellence in Design and Construction, Indianapolis Woman, Metropolis, Metropolitan Home, Home Décor Buyer, Elle Décor, Indianapolis Monthly, Indianapolis Home, Shelter, and The Columbian.

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Bedding Through the Ages

Bedding through the ages has changed drastically. Start by looking at the average Roman bed. These were quite simple bed frames made of wood or iron. If a Roman was wealthy he would have his bed covered in the furs of exotic creatures. If a Roman couple was rich they would sleep in separate beds while the poor masses would sleep together in pairs or more.
With the fall of Rome, the elaborate bedrooms became a thing of the past and the bedrooms of most Saxons and Viking families were basic, one-roomed bedrooms. These warriors would sleep on nothing more than benches and hard plank wood. Even their blankets and pillows were made from leaves and straw. Poor people also made beds of straw and leaves during the medieval period. The wealthy upper class had beds which included actual bedding and mattresses. This period also saw the first bed drapes which would hang down low from the top of the bed canopy. This was more to protect the occupants of the bed from elements and bugs.
The ideal medieval bed was made to be moved on the spot. When a Lord and Lady would travel, they would also travel with their bed. As the times rolled on to the age of the Tudors, many people could afford the normal framed beds. Still made from planks and hard boards, these beds were more readily available to the general public. They started to take on the appearance of the beds we have today. However the construction of a Tudor bed was rather lacking. Held together with nothing more than stretched cords, these cords would need to be replaced when they would become stretched beyond use.
As Stuart and Georgians beds came to pass the design improved. The French had added the idea of a bed cover. These beds were made from elegantly carved wood and fastened together without the aid of cords.
As the years came and went the Victorian Age came around. These beds were the first bed frames made completely of iron. Sometimes fitted or welded together, Victorian Beds were fashioned with huge ornate head-boards and foot boards. As well as a box on which the mattress is placed.
Today our beds are mostly made of metals, plastics or wood. Our mattresses are encased in plastic covers as well as sporting bed sheets made of silk and other expensive materials.

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Steel Bollards and Their Features

When you own a commercial building like a shopping mall or a restaurant, management of traffic and parking and the visitors to the building is a sensitive issue. You must have created a number of rules and regulations to ensure the smooth operation inside the building. To make sure all your guests go with the rules without literally enforcing them on the guests, you need some indicators that would help them realise the rules and abide by them. Steel bollards are one such example for such indicators.
As you know bollards are usually seen as a traffic regulating structure seen in public places and sometimes in private homes as well. Modified forms of earlier fences of the ancient times, steel bollards are seen more on roads to control traffic. Bollards help you in controlling the crowd at cash counter or parking lot. In today's world with so many vehicles on the road and so many people at public places, steel bollards come as an aid to control all these.
Bollards normally come in different types like concrete, stone or steel. While the concrete ones are permanent the steel bollards can be automated or sound sensitive. If the bollards are permanently fixed they need light reflectors to indicate their presence to the approaching vehicles. Otherwise they pose great threat to the vehicles and the people inside.
Steel bollards come with their own techniques of installation and maintenance. Whether they are applied on the road or in a building, it is better if you know well how they are installed, maintained and operated. As such, they require little maintenance, which is in fact one of their main advantages. However, if they are automated they require the more care and periodical checking.
Another positive factor regarding steel bollards is that they are visually pleasing in a refined and civilised way. Neither are they repelling and intimidating, putting off the visitor immediately. They are more decorative and still restrictive. They let your visitors know your rules without offending them and yet insisting them to go by the rules. They are flexible enough to be kept at any place such as parks, lawns, gardens, ticket or cash counters, parking lots etc. They are available in different sizes and shapes to suit the atmosphere.
Today, finding the right type of bollards is not an issue at all. You'll find them at different stores, online and offline, and can easily browse and choose the right ones for your needs. Steel bollards are just the perfect way to add some novelty into your ways of property management.

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Why You Should Hire Decorators For A Pub Makeover

Pub makeover is what you need if you want to improve your business image and generate more sales. It doesn't matter what you call your establishment - pub, lounge, bar, nightclub - as long as you cater for nocturnal entertainment cravings, you definitely are part of an Irish tradition. When it comes to painting and decorating your pub, consider two major themes: traditional and contemporary.
Pubs in Ireland are no longer confined to traditional, old-style ambience created by wall mountings of fiddles, pipes and saxophones; dark wooden corridors; timber and glass partitions, pot belly stove, brass lumps, leather stools, and wooden whiskey jars. Pubs featuring modern embellishments also dot the country's entertainment districts and rural towns, and they have some of the most must-see decorating styles.
Despite working out a unique image, your pub has to appear authentic, nonetheless. It must have that distinctive charm and character that's innately Irish, and yet it doesn't have to be purely crude and classic in every way. Equip your pub with modern conveniences that goes in sync with your choice genuine Irish pub ornaments. Have a little help from professional decorators in transforming a commercial space into that quaint Irish pub that's both a classic and contemporary beauty.
Beyond the pint beer glasses, sports icon keepsakes, and the large whiskey barrels, look into how the largest and most obvious surface in your pub is decorated. The paint colour of the walls and ceilings must project an Irish feel, which is warm and homey. Think rust, amber, brown or any colour that resembles tobacco, beer and wood, and you won't go wrong. However, freely deviate by adding some greens, oranges, reds and even blacks. Applying coats of fresh paint can make your pub interiors shine without hurting its natural pub-feel.
Styling your business premises must not be placed in the hands of ill-experienced workers. You may have the basic skills in decorating, but it always pays to hire painters contractors who can produce exceptional results. You can't afford to gamble your image with service that's supposed to save you a couple of Euros, and yet only gives you headache and frustration in the end.
There is already an abundance of traditional pubs in Ireland, so why not make yours a bit contemporary? Undertake a pub makeover starting with repainting your walls and ceilings as part of a new branding strategy. Pubs that look too old and rustic risk of losing charm altogether, and going classic all the way generally doesn't work well with today's market. But some help from trusty decorators could make your establishment a lot more attractive, particularly if you're targeting a demographic with contemporary taste.

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How to Create an "Edge of Cliff Analysis" to Prevent Big Problems From Occurring

"I'm afraid of what I don't know," the CEO of the rapidly growing company said to me.
"And I'm afraid of what I can't see."
He feared dire circumstances could wipe out his thriving company.
This CEO was worried enough that he longed for an early warning system...if there were a way to create one.
So I did. It was like solving a high-risk puzzle, or providing an action-oriented dashboard that would guide them through improvements, gradually.
And then we made sure the decision-making and prioritization framework would serve his company.
Do you, too, long for a sense of command in otherwise challenging and unpredictable circumstances?
Do you ever wish for an early warning system such as this CEO had?
If so, here are the basic steps we used to create this busy company's early warning system:
- Start with your fears
We called this the "edge of cliff" analysis, and started with the CEO's greatest fears. He had lived with heavy but ambiguous worry for some time. He hadn't yet articulated his fears clearly, so that he could turn them into something positive and actionable.
- Turn them into scenarios
We considered his worst-case scenarios and the probable consequences of each for his clients and company. We also considered best-case scenarios (they are so much more fun to think about...and we needed those for a bit of relief). And then we considered what would happen if the best were even better, and the worst were even worse than we imagined. This stretched our sense of what the early warning system needed to accommodate, and flag for preventative, or adaptive action.
- Make your early warning system goal clear
Identify what you want your early warning system to do for you. Then consider who will use the information, and what they will do with it. Check in with the future users of the information to see what they need to make the information readily usable, and actionable.
- Gather external information
I had to find a proxy for customer satisfaction and frustrations, in lieu of talking directly to customers. I looked to see what promises were made or implied to customers through the company's marketing and advertising materials. This told me what processes inside the company had to work flawlessly, under all different circumstances, no matter what was happening outside the company.
- Synthesize
Working with the leadership team, I verified and clarified which processes had to be top-notch in order for them to continue to thrive. We mapped this to the most likely scenarios they might face, and identified which processes put them at highest risk, if they were not strengthened and improved.
- Organize and communicate
We organized and simplified the work, making it easy to understand and use.
We had no interest in creating a system that just looked good on paper. We wanted one that would be successful in real life and real business.
We then trained people, helping them see what valuable part they played in making the early warning system work successfully. The early warning system turned out to be a combination of crystal ball, fire drill, and strategic change management system all rolled into one.
If you need an early warning system, and would like guidance and support as you do so, let me know.
If enough people are interested, I'll create a class to teach and guide you through the process.

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Digital Security System Testing For Vulnerabilities

Testing your security system will help you determine how accurately it works and if there any vulnerabilities in it. The digital security system testing process has several different aspects to it that will help you diagnose and ultimately better protect your system. Scanning for vulnerabilities involves testing for flaws or leaks in the overall security. Penetration testing is when you actually try to break into the system from the outside. This allows a professional to actually attack the network with everything they have to give you a report on how well it actually operates.
The Vulnerabilities of Digital Security
In the world of computer security, a vulnerability is a weak point that will allow a hacker to either break through the protection on a network, or weaken it for some other type of attack. There are three main points to test a security system's vulnerability with: actual weaknesses in the network security, the knowledge a hacker may have of such a weakness, and the hacker's skill in exploiting the weakness and breaking in. To attack a system, the hacker is going to need to have either the skills or tools to successful exploit the weakness. When an attack occurs, the vulnerability is referred to as the 'attack surface'.
Why is this Testing so Important?
The technologies that hackers have is always changing and developing. The tools and tactics they use are also changing, and are varied from person to person too, so it is very hard to accurately predict how a system may be hacked in the first place. That's why testing like this is so essential. By attempting to break into a system just like a hacker would, the professional security team is able to find the vulnerabilities first, diagnose how they exploited them, and then make recommendations on how to fix them.
Conducting an Actual Test
There are a few steps involved in an actual testing of the security system. The first thing you need to do is determine what you want to attack. It may be a single server in the network, a collection of servers, or the mainframe itself. You will also need to decide how far you want them to go. You may want the team to stop at just breaking into the network, or perhaps you want them to actually attempt to bring the whole system down and steal information from you. Simulated attacks, where they recreate your system and work on that, can be useful too.
It's easy to hope that your system is powerful enough to stop hackers from stealing from you. Testing that belief will help give you a complete picture on how accurate it is. You need to find all vulnerabilities in order to remove them.

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Environmental Responsibility And OHS - Where To Spend The Money

For a moment I want you to think of OHS, or is that SHE, or EHS.... whatever - workplace safety. It's the policy that runs in the background inside every organization in Australia, designed to protect all those who venture into the workplace. The policy extends from the cleaners through to the CEO, and there can be no exceptions. Even contractors need to abide by the policy procedures in place.
Now, what is a business prepared to spend on products and services to ensure they are compliant with WorkCover's enforceable guidelines? (Now there's a mouthful).
The answer is plenty. Because they have to.
There are auditors, local government inspectors, state Government authorities and even police roaming around our respective work places who will create havoc for the management if the dollars are not spent in the right areas to ensure the safety guidelines are met. Businesses even need to invest in training staff and contractors on the local safety policies - in an induction process.
Then they exercise their brag rights and extoll their virtuosity in protecting their workers. A great sales tool, yes?
Now consider how much of that health and safety spend is allocated to the onsite environmental safety. Most businesses fail to see any top line benefit to an environmental spend. They may buy a spill kit and claim their right of passage on the environmental high road. But how does their hard earned outlay translate to a marketing boon or a sales carrot. How can they create a benefit to their top line?
Check that same spill kit a few months (and a few spills) later. It will probably contain more McDonald's wrappers than absorbent pads. The spill kit was purchased begrudgingly and will live its existence lonely and unloved. Unlike the brand new induction program for OHS! But... no green eyes here.
Let's get back to the point...
Environmental compliance is, in the eyes of this blogger, where OHS compliance was in the 90's. Most businesses understand that they need to do something. But of those, most do not understand exactly what they need to do. If you have never had a spill, does that mean that you never will?
Take a look at your environmental risks onsite. Look at what the relative spend is on environmental products against other OHS products. Take the plunge. You may even find a way to use your outlay as a marketing tool, since we all want to do business with responsible companies.

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boeshan

boeshan

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