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Social Media Marketing: The Importance of Community Engagement

By
Andrew Mcaffrey
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While social media used to be a choice, it’s now almost a necessity for brands looking to connect with consumers in an increasingly digital world. Smart brands are using community engagement on social channels to boost awareness, strengthen brand loyalty and drive sales. So how can you unite your followers and grow your online presence?

Here are some useful tips and tricks:

Get Clever with Recurring Prompts

Social media marketing is all about giving people a reason to visit your channels. Recurring weekly posts based around alliteration are fun, interactive and will encourage followers to habitually check your pages regularly. Ideas for recurring prompts include:

  • #MotivationMonday – inspire, direct, educate.
  • #ThinkOutsidetheBoxTuesday – set follower or brand challenges, post corporate responsibility initiatives that are exciting and thought provoking.
  • #WinWednesday – host a competition, send out freebies.
  • #ThoughtfulThursday – do a good deed, tell a brand story.
  • #FunFriday – create a quiz, run a poll, post a silly meme, do a staff challenge.

This type of recurring marketing reminds members to visit your community. So if you’re going to do this, pick a day and be consistent to keep people interested. If you’re going to do this over the weekend with a #SaturdaSocial takeover or a special deal, make sure you’re organised and schedule content if you’re not going to be at your desk.

Initiate Conversations

One-sided conversations are boring. No-one wants to listen for hours as someone rattles on and on about themselves. So remember this when it comes to marketing. Instead of constantly posting about your brand and being overly self-indulgent, try to engage your followers by initiating conversations. You could even contact those who provide the best responses and ask them to expand their views into a guest blog. A snippet of this blog can then be used to spark another conversation and so the pattern continues. A good way to get people talking is to ask a question about a particular topic relevant to your brand.

Top tip for marketers: Acknowledge follower replies by tagging people in posts. Being mentioned by a brand can help drive loyalty while encouraging others to contribute.

Tailor Content to your Community Type

As a brand looking to nail social media marketing, it’s really important to be in touch with the type of community you have. While fashion lovers might want content and discussions about 2021 trends or digital shopping tips, online gamers are probably looking for hints and hacks that’ll take them to next level awesomeness. Be useful to your community and you should find them coming back for more.

Offer Exclusive Opportunities

One of the best ways to build a rock solid community is to offer channel-exclusive content available from your brand only. This could be an influencer takeover, a webinar, a daily roundup of financial news for traders – or anything relevant to your industry that’ll get people excited. Perhaps you’ve an e-book only accessible to those who like and follow a specific post? The more creative you are, the better.

If you’re looking for a digital agency in Kent to help with everything from social media marketing to web design, contact Whitefish Marketing today. As SEO Kent experts, you can enjoy tailored services that’ll help your business flourish.

How you can impress clients even while working from home

By
Claire James
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If you have been forced to work from home because of COVID-19, or you are a sole trader with no fancy office building, you may have found it difficult to entertain the idea of meeting new clients from your own house. Therefore, here are five top tips on how you can impress clients even while working from home.

Make sure your home office is client-friendly

When you are working from home, it can be difficult to separate your home life from your work life. In fact, during the start of the coronavirus-related stint of mandatory working from home, four in ten employees said their work-life balance had deteriorated due to the change.  

However, if you do succeed in effectively separating your home life from your work life, as 52% of Brits have done as of January 2021, you could enjoy a better work-life balance than might have previously been possible. The benefit of this is that you can enjoy a healthy work-life balance, and make sure that your home office is only used for work – keeping that home office client-friendly.

Consider a virtual office

A virtual office allows you to work from home but create an “office” which is accessed over the internet. This can come complete with a receptionist to answer your calls.  You can also create a presence in a desirable location without needing to actually rent a permanent physical office there.

For example, it’s possible to get virtual offices provided with an address in a prestigious area of London or another major UK city when, in reality, you are working from the comfort of your own home outside that area.

Clients will garner a fantastic impression of your company from seeing its new, “official” address, meaning that you can more easily win new business without having to change your current working pattern.

Wine and dine them

If you need to have physical meetings, then why not use the opportunity to take your client out for coffee or a fancy meal. We all know that people love to be wined and dined, so this is a great way to handle meetings without needing to invite them to your home.

Coffee shops and restaurants are also neutral and informal, which will allow both you and your client to relax when conducting your meeting. However, this might depend on the client, as some might find this distracting or unprofessional.

Handle everything professionally

No matter where you end up meeting your client, remember to stay professional at all times. This means arriving promptly, being informed and prepared and dressing for the occasion. While you might be able to get away with wearing shorts and sweatpants at home, it wouldn’t be appropriate for an in-person client meeting.

It can also be a good idea for you to turn your phone off or on silent. A constantly ringing and buzzing phone can be a big distraction and give off a bad impression.

Be organised

Before the day of the meeting, prepare an agenda so that you know exactly what you want to discuss. You can also distribute the agenda to everyone else involved in the meeting to make sure they are also organised.

Make sure you print off any presentations, business cards, facts or figures you might need as props for the meeting. Showing up with a multitude of information, ready and prepared, will always help to make a good impression with a client.

A Review of 3 Essential Business Tools

By
Claire James
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In the past year, making our working life easier has become more important than ever. This has meant automating a lot of different processes and leaning more heavily on technology.

There are some business tools that have become essential to how we run our companies. If you are new to running a business, or just adapting to more automated processes, it can be difficult to know which are right for you.

Here, we are looking at the top three essential business tools that your company needs.

Task management tools

For both big and small tasks, project management tools are incredibly helpful. They can work to provide a pipeline for individual workers, or as a task board for groups who share workflow.

This means that workers can get a great overview of what they need to do and help them to prioritise tasks. Meanwhile, if you have a team working on a single project, it can keep them on target and communicate effectively about their workflow.

Tools such as Trello and Salesforce can help with this, and can also allow managers to get a good idea of the amount of work that staff are doing in a single day. Not only that, but if you have to do work across multiple teams, you can track each part of a process.

Accounting tools

Getting your accounts in order is of vital importance, whether you are a small or larger enterprise. From running payroll to invoicing customers and tracking your expenditures, the right kind of software can help you to manage the accounting elements of your business, even if you have a smaller accounts team – or you are doing it yourself.

Doing your tax return might be one of the more challenging parts of your year but with the corporation tax return from BTCSoftware, it can be that much easier to manage. After all, you have more important things to think about when running a business!

Connecting tools

In 2021, connecting with your colleagues is more important than ever. Whether you need to converse on a project or even just to speak on a personal level, it is vital to have the appropriate tools in place for this.

In the past year, you have probably used Zoom a whole lot more than ever before, but text-based chats are equally useful. Slack is a great way for teams to communicate about projects, and it is fantastic because you can reflect back on conversations. While it is less formal than an email trail, it allows quick communication and updates on projects.

At any size, running a business is not without its challenges, especially in the current climate. With these tools, your business can run more smoothly and effectively than ever before.

Six Reasons For Small Businesses Failure

By
Andrew Mcaffrey
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close up shot of a digital stock market tracking graph follwing a recent crash in prices. Bear market 3D illustration

Let’s face it: almost every neighbourhood has that one storefront that turns into a new business every few months. Maybe it started as a nail salon, then there was a karaoke bar or cafe, and now there is a CBD shop. These new small businesses open and close their doors almost before anyone notices.

Starting your own business is definitely not for the faint of heart. Entrepreneurship is not only extremely time-consuming, but it is also inherently risky. Successful business owners must have the ability to mitigate company-specific risks while bringing a perfect product or service to market at a price that matches consumer demand.

Even though there are a number of small businesses in a wide range of industries that perform well and are consistently profitable, most of them fail within their first three years of operation. To safeguard your new or established company, it is essential to understand why businesses fail. Here are some common reasons why small businesses shut down.

A Poor Pricing Strategy

To beat the competition in very saturated industries and attract new customers, companies can set dramatically lower prices than similar offerings. Although such a strategy is successful in some cases, organisations that ultimately close their doors are those that charge too little for their products or services for far too long. 

Some business owners can miss the mark on pricing their products or services. But when production costs, marketing and delivery outweigh the income received from new sales, the company haы a small choice.

Trying To Do It All Or Hiring Too Many People

It is easy for business owners to be so engaged with their work that it can become obsessive, even if all the evidence indicates it not being a success. Running a company all by yourself may be a recipe for disaster. There will be a lot of ups and downs, many things happen that you don’t expect, and when there is no one else to turn to, you can get into a quandary, which in turn might lead to missed deadlines and unsatisfied customers.

Therefore, delegation is your friend. Whether that means investing in software that reduces workload or hiring some employees, your business will only start making money when you shift some of your responsibilities to other skilled shoulders. At the very least, you should have a professional on-call accountant and/or general assistant to help you maintain your financial records and routine duties, so you can focus on your business. At the same time, hiring too many workers prematurely can drain your cash flow and prevent your company’s ability to invest and grow.

Ineffective Management

In some cases, the business owner is the only senior-level person in the company, particularly when the business is in its first or second year of operation. Therefore, another common reason why small companies fail is the lack of business acumen on the part of a business owner.

While an entrepreneur may have the skills required to create and sell a viable product or service, they usually lack the qualities of a strong manager and the time to successfully supervise your staff. Whether it is hiring or marketing, without a dedicated management team, a business owner is likely to mismanage particular aspects of the company, which can also negatively impact future operations.

Rapid Growth

In business, most of the time, the slow and steady wins the race. Growing too quickly often entails financing on credit, such as a small business loan, which can backfire if your company faces tough times or the market changes.

With the rapid expansion and extension of the brand, business owners tend to take on more business than they can do, leading to depletion of their working capital and lower quality. You and your team are overwhelmed while your product or service is suffering. Instead, think about the ways on how to keep your clients and make them fall in love with your business, as well as how you will repay each business loan. 

Cash Flow Shortages

You have probably known that it is actually hard to make money in a business without spending some money. If you want to take your company to the next level and grow your business successfully, you must be able to invest in growth costs such as advertising, equipment and inventory, to name a few.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the government gave help to small businesses affected by the coronavirus through various financial options. Whether you need to cover wages on a temporary leave of your workers, access finance more quickly to adapt to this ‘new normal’ or kick off a new project, you can apply for financial support, such as Bounce Back Loan System (BBLS), Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) or Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS lenders). In fact, the CBILS scheme can provide you with two fast solutions like a hassle-free loan and a flexible revolving credit facility to help you find necessary aid and suitable variant for your business that can help to cope with the crisis.

Borrowing Too Much Money

Sometimes you need to go into debt to ensure you have enough capital to meet the needs of your organisation. Some business owners have the cash to pay out-of-pocket, so loans are considered a smart choice to fund your company.

Most entrepreneurs are a bit overzealous and therefore tend to overestimate their funding needs. The prospect of getting a large sum of money through a business loan definitely sounds tempting. Still, if you don’t prioritise your debt repayments and on-time payments, it becomes more and more difficult to grow operations.

Since many small business owners across all industries report that lack of capital or low cash flow is their biggest obstacle, adding the weight of too much debt makes it even more challenging to make a profit. Consider borrowing only what you need to stay afloat, and never borrow more than you can pay back if the business goes bankrupt.

Tackling the issue of light fastness in our favourite works of art

By
Andrew Mcaffrey
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Light fastness is a common issue that many artists encounter regardless of their medium.

It is a term that refers to how resistant the property of a colourant, such as dye or pigment, is to fading when it is exposed to light.

While all paint mediums suffer from poor light fastness, watercolour paint in particularly is seen as one of the most susceptible to fading because of light exposure.

As a result, when displaying watercolour works of art, light fastness must actively be considered and usually requires pieces to be hung under controlled and reduced light conditions.

In most cases, museums and art galleries will implement a policy which only permits watercolours considered ‘light fast’ to be displayed for no more than three months within a three-year period.

One of the most famous watercolour works of art, Albrecht Durer’s ‘Hare’, dates back to 1502 and lives at the Albertina Museum in Vienna.

This piece is noted for not only its true-to-life nature in detail, but also in colour.

For that reason, the Albertina does not have it on permanent display.

The most recent occasion to view it was in the 2019/2020 Durer exhibition, and it will now not reappear for many years to protect its integrity.

Many more historical watercolours in the hands of collectors, museums and galleries around the globe are generally not displayed at all, instead being preserved and protected in dark archive cabinets.

Light fastness is an issue that most historical works of art will inevitably encounter, which is why organisations such as Watercolour World in the UK have committed themselves to digitising works as a way of preserving not just art, but more importantly, our history.

The fragility of watercolours is in part caused by the issue of light fastness and, as we move into an increasingly digital world, it is important to secure the position of historical artworks in it.

Each brush stroke, colour and detail tell a unique and irreplaceable story that we must protect.

While in the past, light fastness would be tackled with keeping artwork locked away, digitising these pieces provides a more permanent solution.

Watercolour World is one of the first charities that have made it their mission to tackle and overcome these challenges.

By working with PFU, a Fujitsu company, they are now working to record and digitise works in collections from around the world. 

The scanning process used to do so is extremely simple, but effective.

Designed so that they do not come directly into contact with the watercolour at any time, LED technology is used to create clear and detailed digital images.

This can be done even through glass, and is especially useful when dealing with artworks that have poor light fastness because it does not emit potentially harmful heat or ultraviolet rays of light.

If we are truly to view and enjoy works of art, particularly watercolour works which are more susceptible to damage over time, it is important that we make copies which are as accurate and detailed as the original.

There are so many incredible works of art that only a handful of people will have seen, usually only for brief moments and while accompanied by a curator.

By digitising these works, we are not only tackling the issues of light fastness, but we are also retaining some of the best works of art for generations to follow.

Many of the greatest works of art from history are destined to decay, and many already are.

We can work to restore and protect our favourite ones, but it is inevitable that an original will not last forever.

Watercolours are among the most fragile, as well as some of the most difficult, pieces to restore and preserve.

It has never been clearer to see that as we move into a world that is increasingly digital, so too must our greatest art works.

Five holiday park hacks to bag a bargain UK summer staycation

By
Claire James
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Hopping onto a plane for a week of guaranteed sun in August is looking less and less likely for UK holidaymakers. As a result, lots of people are staying nearer to home and visiting a caravan holiday park or a lodge park. Demand and prices have certainly gone up but there are still some simple tricks to help you afford a holiday this summer.

1. Book the last week of the summer holidays.

Demand for holidays drops considerably in the last week before children head back to school in early September. The nights aren’t quite as warm and there are back to school jobs that need doing, such as ironing labels into every jumper and pair of socks. However, busy resorts aren’t quite so crowded in late August and you can save yourself a hefty sum if you holiday during the final week compared to the third or fourth week of the summer break.

For example, we looked for a lodge at a posh seaside resort on the Isle of Wight in late August/early September and found that a family of four would pay about half the price of a holiday in early August. In that instance the saving was more than £1200. 

2. Arrive on a weekday.

Some of the bigger holiday park companies, such as Haven, will give you a discount of as much as £100 if you arrive on a Monday or a Friday instead of a Saturday. Most families stick to the traditional Saturday to Saturday holiday, but it’s a simple way to save some money if you have the flexibility.

3. Book a privately owned caravan or lodge.

Most of the bigger caravan holiday parks sell some of their caravans to private owners who then use them for their own holidays or rent them out. You won’t find these hidden caravans and lodges on the official websites for companies such as Parkdean Resorts. Instead, you need to look on accommodation websites such Airbnb or HolidayLettings. Owners set their own prices and upload their own photos so you might be able to bag a bargain. If you want the cheapest accommodation search for caravans or if you want proper sized beds, ensuite toilets and full size kitchens then you’ll want to search for lodges.

4. Fill up the largest caravan you can find.

Assuming that government restrictions allow it, you can save yourself a considerable sum by sharing with friends or family. We’ve seen occasions where two four berth caravans will cost you £1000 more than one caravan for eight people. Admittedly you will need to get on pretty well, as two people will be sleeping in the lounge but the savings are appealing. Personally, I would agree to eat out more often rather than trying to cater for eight in a small kitchen.

5. Try Scotland.

As a very general rule, holiday parks in the North of England and Scotland are cheaper than those in Devon and Cornwall. Obviously there are exceptions, but there are definitely some real deals to be had if you head north of the border. We searched for the cheapest caravans at big sites run by Haven in Cornwall and Scotland in early August and found that the Scottish resorts were sometimes half the price for the cheapest available caravan. Of course, the resorts may have different facilities and you might not see as much sunshine but it’s worth doing a comparison.

A Plumber’s Guide to Connecting Plastic Pipes and Fittings

By
Andrew Mcaffrey
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Over the years, studies have shown the limitations of the old metal pipes used in plumbing. That has paved the way for plastic manufacturing which is said to be the future of plumbing.

Yet while plastic pipes are mainstream, the major problem that most people have with them is how to connect them to fittings.

In this article, you will learn how to connect plastic pipes and fittings as well as some basic plumbing tips.

How To Connect Plastic Pipes and Fittings

The process by which you join PVC, CPVC or even HDPE pipes and fittings is called “solvent welding”.

The procedure is quite simple. Here are a few steps on how to do it:

  • Step 1: Before you start applying the primer and adhesive, always make sure your cuts are square and burr-free, even if you are using a pipe cutter. The catch is that uneven cuts and misplaced pieces of plastic weaken welds and lead to joint problems. Therefore, pipes should be dry and free of dirt and debris.
  • Step 2: Now check that the primer and adhesive have not expired. Most primers and glues have a shelf life of three years. Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) glue, on the other hand, has a shelf life of two years.
  • Step 3: This applies to PVC and CPVC pipes only because no primer is used in acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) pipes. Apply the primer to the inside of the fitting and outside of the pipe, starting with the fitting. You should apply a primer to each fitting to the depth of the socket. Apply the primer moderately to avoid puddles or excessive dripping. Hold the fitting or pipe so that if the primer drips, it will have to drip down and out of the fitting, not in.
  • Step 4: Once you are finished with Step 3, quickly apply cement to the fitting and pipe while the primer is still wet. Do this often within 5 minutes of using the primer, as the primer will evaporate if you dawdle.
  • Step 5: Here, the pipe will be inserted into the fitting by slowly turning it a quarter turn. That will spread the cement and create a stronger weld. You will notice a bead of glue has formed around the whole of the new joint and that the excess has been pushed outwards.
  • Step 6: To keep everything in place while the solvent does its job, you must hold the new joint firmly for 30 seconds. At the end of this time frame, the two plastic pieces will have “melted” enough to be left in place and harden completely. Next, gently wipe off any excess cement and primer; otherwise, it could damage the pipe.
  • Step 7: Refer to cement manufacturer’s instructions for curing times. In most cases, it will take at least two hours before the fitting can be put into service.

7 Plastic Plumbing Tips for a Better Plumbing System

Now that you know how to connect plastic pipes and fittings, it’s time to learn a few tips to improve your plumbing experience.

Take precautions when gluing in corners.

In many cases, as you try to make connections, you will find that there are pipes that move and pipes that don’t. If you start gluing fittings arbitrarily, you may find yourself in a situation where you can’t fix the last fitting.

Keep in mind that the last fitting to be glued should be that of a pipe with a small amount of leeway. This is usually where a vertical pipe meets a horizontal one so that you can lean on an elbow or tee from two directions.

Reuse landlocked fitting

If you need to replace pipes, but it is difficult to change the fitting, the old fitting can be reamed and reused.

Picture this: A tee comes out of the back of a cupboard, and a broken pipe leads to it. Or the tee is so deep in the floor joists that you can’t reach it. In these cases, the golden rule is to cut the pipe near the joint, then use a Socket Saver to ream the pipe to expose the inside of the fitting. Thereafter, cement a new pipe into the old fitting and reuse it.

Deburr for leak-free connections.

Burr remnants at the end of a pipe create channels in the wall when you push the fitting onto the pipe. This gives way to small holes that will result in leaks or an inability to withstand the pressure. It is therefore advisable to always scrape off any burrs with a utility knife before assembling the pipes.

Avoid callbacks – use straps.

Temperature changes often lead to changes in the length of plastic pipes. When you hang a pipe from a plastic J-hook, you will hear a ticking sound when the pipe slips past the hook.

When this happens, don’t panic because these are not ticks of water drops from a leaking pipe. So instead of J-hooks, use plastic straps instead.

Apply the elbow rule.

For pipes less than 3 inches, there are three types of 90-degree elbows: short sweep, vented, and long sweep. You can quickly identify the vent elbows by paying more attention to their significant curvature. Remember that these curves can only be used on a venting path that carries air, not water.

The basic rules when you want to use the other two types of bends are as follows:

  • If the water accelerates by turning the corner, usually from horizontal to vertical, use a short sweep.
  • If the water slows down, usually from vertical to horizontal, use a long sweep.

Support hot drain lines

Generally, pipes that regularly drain water under high temperatures need continuous support. Often these are the pipes under sinks that are connected to dishwashers that collapse between the ordinary supports. In this case, experts recommend that you slide a larger pipe over the drain line before attaching fittings and then secure the supports.

Use tubing cutters for small pipes.

For pipes up to 2 inches, use a pipe cutter that is a larger version of the type used for copper pipe. It allows a perfectly straight cut, with no burrs or chips to clean. Most importantly, it does not take up much space in the tool bucket.

Using plastic pipes for plumbing takes real expertise. Sometimes you may cut the fittings disproportionately, and other times you may not glue them properly. Either way, by sticking to the tips given above, you will get there–ensuring safe and efficient access to water for the house’s inhabitants.

Beautify Your Outdoor Space: 3 Tips and 6 Yard Additions to Consider

By
Andrew Mcaffrey
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Landscaping is a huge part of making your property your own. Your curb appeal will show off your personality and style. A great-looking yard will also boost your home’s value instantly and may even inspire your neighbors to improve their outdoor space as well. Best of all, a well-designed landscape offers a relaxing, safe outdoor living space that you and your family can enjoy.

But achieving a healthy lawn and landscape is not easy. It entails several considerations, including hiring a reliable landscaping company in Dubai and determining the features you want to install in it.

Here are tips and outdoor features to help you out with your outdoor home improvement project.

3 Landscaping Tips

A yard makeover is something that you should not take lightly. You will be investing time, effort, and money in it, so you must ensure that all your investments won’t go to waste. Here are tips to ensure that you are making the right move.

1. Develop a plan

You need to plan for how your outdoor space will look and how you will use it. Will you use it for entertaining guests? Do you have children or pets who need space to play? Are you planning to indulge in a little solitude? What color combination do you prefer? What outdoor features would you like installed? Your answers to these questions can help you determine your landscape design’s parameters. Regardless of who will be drawing up the plan, you must consider your needs and preferences.

2. Set a budget

Not setting a budget is among the most overlooked yet significant steps involved in outdoor landscaping. Before the work begins, determine how much you are willing to spend. Compare this with the projected cost of the plan you developed earlier. If your budget is not enough, you can modify the landscape design or your financial plan. Either way, make sure that everything is well accounted for so you won’t end up getting disappointed with the outcome or spending far beyond your financial capacity.

3. Hire a construction company

Nothing beats the work of landscaping experts. Unless you have the right skill and tools, hiring a construction company is vital to achieving the outdoor living space that suits your needs and budget.

Landscaping pros know what they are doing. From determining the best plants for your climate to understanding your yard’s soil composition, professional landscapers know the ins and outs of landscaping installation and maintenance. Also, they can get creative. They can transform your ideas into reality or tweak some of it to achieve a more favorable outdoor living space.

Moreover, landscaping companies can save you time. You don’t have to allocate free time after work or your entire weekend doing landscaping tasks. Let the experts do it all while you spend quality time with your loved ones.

Most importantly, hiring professional landscapers will save you money because you can avoid costly mistakes. For instance, you will spend on the right products the first time. They know the required parameters to allow your plants and yard to flourish.

6 Yard Additions to Consider

Transform your yard with these fun, comfortable, and functional structures.

1. Shed

A shed is an attractive, sturdy structure that provides workspaces, shelter, seating, and even storage. It can be used all the time, regardless of the weather. You can even customize it to meet your specific needs by getting flooring solutions from your preferred carpet suppliers.

Whether you want a comfy shed, a well-equipped work environment, an adjunct to your outdoor grill, or a playhouse for your children, choose one that is built of high-quality materials and with a solid foundation.

2. Deck

A deck can serve as an outdoor gathering place for your family to have fun and create special memories together in. It provides a functional place to throw parties and barbecues. Whether you choose to install it outside your shed or house, the deck helps integrate the house with the entire yard. 

3. Swimming pool

Besides increasing your property’s appeal and value, a swimming pool can motivate you to become healthier. By taking a dip or doing a few laps in your pool after an exhausting day or week at work, you can get stress relief and exercise at the same time.

Swimming is not just a fun activity, but it also offers several health benefits, such as:

  • Speeds up recovery
  • Improves flexibility
  • Alleviates anxiety and depression
  • Calms and regulates breathing
  • Boosts heart health
  • Improves your mood

But to secure these benefits, you need to make sure that your pool is always clean and safe. This means investing in essential pool accessories, such as pool skimmers, a barrier or cover, alarms, LED lighting, and rescue or first aid equipment.

4. Pavers

Versatile pavers can help you create pathways from your house to your shed and to the pool. They are strong, attractive, and able to withstand heavy traffic. They also require minimal maintenance.

5. Container garden

Container gardens are simple yet effective ways to spread color around your landscape. Planter boxes and pots can work well, but you can also use buckets, old sinks, crates, and wash tubs.

Colorful blooms scattered throughout your outdoor living space can bring a smile to everyone’s faces and encourage you to spend more time outdoors. These can also help yard features like sheds and decks blend well with your landscaping.

6. Landscape lighting

Once the shed, deck, pavers, pool, and plants are laid down in your yard, highlight them at night with landscape lighting. Outdoor lights are available in different designs and shapes, making it easier to find one that suits the other yard features.

Adding outdoor lighting can also keep everyone safe. You can use it to illuminate walkways, paths, the driveway, and even your swimming pool. It will guide you at night, thus preventing injuries from falling or slipping.

Most importantly, outdoor lighting can help deter crimes. It will surprise anyone who tries to trespass on your property, especially if you use lights with motion sensors. You can also use one with timers so you can turn it on when it gets dark outside or if you are away from home.

Beautifying your outdoor living space can be a daunting endeavor. But with the right tips and guidance from reputable landscapers, you can achieve a yard that includes all the features you want,and at a reasonable price. A great landscaping company can also help with pool and landscape maintenance to ensure that you enjoy a safe and healthy outdoor space for many years to come.

4 Helpful Tips for Choosing The Best Food Companies in UAE

By
Andrew Mcaffrey
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If you’re thinking of opening a restaurant in the United Arab Emirates, or if you’re already running one, you need to find a reliable food supplier, no matter how small or big your store is. Finding a good supplier helps you provide everything your customers need and even more.

Food companies in UAE are offering a wide range of products, some of them are homegrown, and preferred by many locals. Although many international products are available in the supermarket, many locals still prefer food that is produced and manufactured in UAE.

Top food service providers in the United Arab Emirates ensure that they run large-scale operations to produce and provide these homegrown products to the locals. If you want to satisfy your customer’s wants and needs, you need to hire a reputable company that can provide you everything you need.

Here are some helpful tips for choosing the best food service company:

  1. Explain what your brand is about. One important thing to do before hiring a supplier is making them aware of your brand. What is your business all about. What do you stand for in terms of food and beverage. How do you want your customers to perceive you. Doing this in the beginning will help you explain to any contractor what you want to achieve for your business.

In any type of business, it’s important to find the right kind of partner. If your partner understands what your brand is about, they’ll know what you’d want from them as a supplier. They will work hand in hand with you in achieving your goals. Some food suppliers are picky when it comes to choosing their partners. So if they don’t feel you’re on the same boat, you might end up losing them, regardless of how much you want them.

  1. Be clear about what you want. Identifying what you want right from the start is very important, because if you’re not clear about what you’re aiming for, it would be hard to find it. If you don’t know what you want from a supplier, it’s going to be hard to find one because you’ll always get disappointed or you’ll always be looking for something, when in fact, you don’t know what it is.

So decide what you want in the beginning. Do you want a wholesale food provider that only offers local produce, or do you want to have a mixture of both local and international products? Do you want those who are only catering to small businesses, or do you want those who already have big clients in the area?

When you know the answers to these questions, you can narrow down your list of prospective suppliers.

  1. Set your budget. A very important tip when choosing a supplier is setting your budget and finding a partner who can work with that. You can’t simply choose one because you love everything they’ve presented to you, and then later find out you can’t afford their services.

There are many food and beverage companies in UAE that cater to several restaurants or corporate cafeterias, and they provide cost estimates to their clients. You should find that opportunity too to help you decide if they’re the right partner for you. Is their estimated costs fair and will it work within your budget? If it doesn’t, you need to move on to the next prospect.

Don’t push something that won’t work and will only give you problems financially. There are other areas of the business that you need to focus on as well, so don’t get stuck on choosing a supplier just because you’re trying to stretch your budget to afford them.

  1. Learn everything you can about your prospective supplier. Before finally deciding on a company, find out everything you can about them. Doing a search online is the most convenient thing you can do. Initially, you can find out information about them through their website, such as their mission and vision, how they started, what products and services they offer, who they’ve partnered with, and much more.

Finding out what people say about them is very helpful. So read reviews about them. Check out the most recommended food service providers in the UAE and see if they’re on the list. Also find out if they have the necessary permits and licenses to operate. Other things you need to find out are their delivery schedules, shipping policies, and cancellation and refund terms and conditions.

It’s good to find good information about your prospective supplier, but you shouldn’t ignore bad reviews as well. They wouldn’t be sharing this to you in your interview so you should dig this on your own. Some past clients may have had bad experiences with them, or their staff might not be staying long to work for them. These are red flags that you shouldn’t ignore.

6 iMessage Tips Every Apple User Should Know

By
Andrew Mcaffrey
-

Are you a brand-new Apple user who has just invested in your first device? Are you anxious to learn all you can about Apple, and take advantage of the many benefits it offers? One of the more exciting and frankly more-used features on Apple devices is iMessage. This is of course Apple’s own instant messaging platform that allows other Apple users to connect with you in real-time. You can use the app for chatting, video calls, sending pictures, and more. But as a new user, it’s perfectly normal to feel a bit intimidated and confused as to how to use iMessage.

Here we’ll take a look at six iMessage tips that every Apple user should know. While these tips are geared towards new users, even veteran Apple users may find some of these tips useful and informative.

Make Sure You Have Activated It Properly

First things first, in order for iMessage to work, you’ll need to be sure it has been activated properly. This refers to those with a new device that will require some set-up. If you see a message that reads “waiting for activation”, then it’s important you take the right steps to ensure you activate it properly.

It’s also not unheard of to receive an iMessage activation error, which again, requires immediate attention. Rather than take guesses about what steps to use to fix the situation, you can refer to the handy guide that Setapp has put together for Apple users. It goes through all the reasons the problem is occurring, as well as the steps to take that will fix it and ensure activation occurs. Setapp gives users more than 210 Mac apps all available in one handy spot, allowing you to be more productive than ever before.

Other error messages that may appear include “could not sign in, please check your network connection”, “activation unsuccessful”, or “unable to contact the iMessage server. Try again”, among others. Until you remedy the situation, you won’t be able to use iMessage or any of its features.

Learn to Pin Messages to the Top of the Screen

As you get into the habit of using iMessage, it won’t take long for the messages in your library to build up. This can make it difficult and time-consuming to go back to specific responses or messages that have important details you need. A great solution is to pin important messages/responses to the top. This makes information quick and easy to find.

In order to pin a message, simply tap on the pin button, which is yellow, while on the message thread. It pins the full message thread to the top. Keep in mind you can pin up to six message threads at a time.

Once you no longer need that thread pinned, just tap and hold down on the circle of that contact and press unpin.

This is the kind of feature that people may not think is that useful until they actually give it a try. It can make your iMessage library much more organized and therefore efficient.

Need to Let Someone Know Where You Are? Share Location

How many times have you tried to meet up with a friend or family member only to get confused with directions? The iMessage app offers the perfect solution which is the ability to share your location with someone. Your location will be shared via a map that you can instantly send to any contact. Just tap on the “Details” menu which is in the top right-hand corner of the screen, and select “Send My Current Location”.

Turn On/Off the Read Feature

Here’s a feature that you can use to your advantage, but it may be a different for each person. There is a feature that you can turn on or off that shows people you have read their message. This can be good or bad. For example, maybe you read a message but don’t respond for a couple of hours, or days even. You may not necessarily want the recipient to know when exactly you read their message. This particular feature can be found in the Settings app under “Messages”. You can either check or uncheck the “Send Read Receipts” option.

Block Pesky Numbers and Contacts

If you happen to have some pesky numbers, contacts, or even telesales people that keep trying to reach you on your Apple device, be sure to use the “Blocked” feature to prevent them from trying again. In order to use this feature, simply go to the Settings app, then the Messages menu and select “Blocked”. Once you add a number/contact to the blocked list they won’t be able to FaceTime, call, message, or text you.

Have a Group Message? Give It a Name

Another way iMessage is used is for group messages. This allows several people to be chatting at once, whether that is a work-related group or just a group of friends or family. If you have more than one group message going at once, with some of the people overlapping, it can get a bit confusing. A perfect solution is to give the group message a name or title that quickly lets you know what that group is about.

In order to give the group a name you can tap on the “Details” button that appears in the top right-hand corner of the group message. Perhaps that message is about an upcoming boys/girls night out, or maybe it’s from the sports team you are on, or a chat with your family. Just give it a name that relates to the message topic. The more group chats you have going on at once, the handier this tip will become.

By using all of these tips and tricks, you’ll be able to become an iMessage pro in no time and wonder what you ever did without it. Chatting with contacts will become a breeze and, because it syncs over all your Apple devices, it is the ultimate in efficiency.

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