Functionality and Looks: How Important Is It to Preserve Aesthetics in Machine Design?

Ever since the Industrial Revolution integrated functionality with design and production, the world has changed at an incredibly fast pace. Products that were once expensive, time-consuming, and cumbersome to create have become efficiently and cheaply mass-produced, making them more popular and widely distributed.

Function vs looks

But just how far does machine design take away from aesthetics? In many cheaply made, mass-produced products, beauty and durability are sacrificed for cost. Yet aesthetics are often the focal point of engineering anything, so exactly how important is it to preserve aesthetics when designing machines?

What is the Difference Between Functionality and Aesthetics?

The word “aesthetics” comes from the ancient Greek word aisthetikos, which loosely means “to perceive.”…

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Fact Or Faux? Myths About Coworking

When perusing coworking sites online, it is very easy to assume that the coworking space is one of fun and frivolity. Images of professionals standing around an after-hours cocktail bar or chatting amicably around a conference table can give the impression that coworking is a big scene. This is just one of the major misconceptions about the popular office format, which has already taken traction in places like Wellington and Auckland.

Coworking misconceptions

Other misconceptions related to coworking involve definitions of it as being shared space, which has also been around forever. Then, there is this whole idea that major cities are the only places where coworking professionals can thrive.…

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Building Credibility When You’re Small – 4 Tips

It’s never easy building a strong reputation for your small business, but the Digital Age has certainly made things easier than they used to be.

Building business credibility

In fact, if you know how to leverage the right methods, there’s absolutely no reason your small business can’t enjoy just as much credibility as your much bigger competitors do.

4 Ways to Become More Credible Than Your Larger Competitors

The online age has made it easier than ever to build a presence and market your services and products to customers. That being said, building a strong, credible reputation is more important than ever. Prospects that find you credible will find it easier to become your customers.…

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6 Tips to Negotiate on a Car Loan

If you want to buy a car, but don’t have cash, you can always apply for a car dealer financing. But you should be prepared for a never-ending sales pitch from the salesman and the finance manager.

tips to get approved

Speaking of preparation, here are six tips that can help you significantly:

1. Don’t Make Decisions Based on Your Emotions

A lot of emotions can be involved in buying a car. You may find it difficult to leave the car once you’ve gone out for a test drive. But if the dealer is not interested in negotiating, you are free to walk away. Bear in mind that you’re the one paying for the car and you’re not doing any favor to the dealer.…

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A Simple Guide To Managing Short Term Property Rentals

Managing short term property rentals is becoming easier and more profitable with every passing year. With technology and automation, this shared-economy business model is both welcoming and lucrative. However, it’s a good bet if you’re reading this, you’re not looking for a side gig or a hobby.

Rent unused property for profit

You can make a fortune running a short term property rental business by prepping as much as possible before opening the doors to your first guest. The following are a collection of expert tips and strategy that are guaranteed to help you build and scale your short-term rental empire.

Short-Term Property Management: A Brief Guide

Are you ready to run a business?…

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5 Skills Social Media Managers Should Nurture Without Much Ado

It goes without saying, the social media industry is growing in leaps and bounds and so are social media jobs. Not surprisingly, Linkedin is swarming with 18,000+ social media gurus. But then, tell me one thing, how many of these are *real* social media gurus?

Social media manager on the job

Don’t get me wrong. In principle, there are people who are holding relevant social media job profiles. But, the explosion in social media marketing space has led to so many made-up social media job titles as well. In a way, it was expected. But then, remember, simply tweeting your everyday office activities or Instagramming your office tours won’t suffice if you are looking for a role of social media manager.…

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5 Reasons Why Sharing Is Caring in Small Business Time Management

Time management is important to SMEs, as this is the one resource that can’t really be bought. For small businesses, limited staffing and a small budgets are common. For SME team leaders, this negatively impacts their work-life balance, often resulting in those at the top taking zero holidays throughout the year.

Team Meeting

However, there are a few tools that can help to reduce the workload and save time, but they all require team effort. This is why sharing is caring in small business time management. In other words, it’s essential to rally your team so that you’re all on the same page.…

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Choosing the Right Shipping Partner for Your Business

If you are a starting a business or you are simply fed up with your current shipping partner and are looking for options in the market, this article is for you.

Choosing the right shipping partner is essential

The following points are important factors you should evaluate before choosing the right shipping partner for your business:

Price

This is probably the factor most evaluated when looking for any product or service. While price could initially be perceived as being the most important thing to consider, as most of the people look for the cheapest pricing every time, it is important to sit back and really put some thought on what a cheap price entails:

  • Does the cheap price affect the service?
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The Secret to Exhibition Success

Having a successful exhibition is all about being organized and knowing the steps you should take. However, doing so isn’t as easy as it sounds because there’s a lot to consider. What do you need to do before the exhibit? Who will oversee the brochures and booklets printing? How are you going to bring people to your booth? Is training your staff really necessary?

Exhibition planning tips

These are just few questions that will occupy your mind, and if you don’t have a plan it’s easy to become conflicted and stressed, leading to overwhelm and poor decisions. Every single detail must be nailed down, and therefore a plan is highly recommended, to know what you should do before, during and after the exhibition.…

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How to 3x Your Productivity (with More Free Time) in Less Than 30 Days

Most of us work too hard for too little. We’re slowly being pushed to get more done with less. We spend more time at work with our co-workers than we do with our loved ones. Day-by-day, we’re asked to do more and more, while we’re compensated with less and less. Yet, oddly enough our productivity is actually decreasing. We’re not getting the right kind of work done. We’re not all that productive.

Productive businesswoman

Sound familiar? No wonder we’re exhausted. Why would anyone want to triple their productivity in 30 days when they’re crushed under these work conditions?

Overwork: The hidden key to success?

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