Tips for Hiring Freelancers for your Small Business

Freelancers are a growing and essential part of the American workforce, with 53 million independent professionals currently living in the United States, up from 10.3 million a decade ago. By 2020, forecasters predict there’ll be more freelancers in the United States than full-time employees. More employers like you will add freelancers to their payrolls as these numbers grow. Consider these tips when you’re inviting freelancers to join your firm.

Don’t Try to Micromanage Them

Freelancer

The autonomy freelancers enjoy is also one of the biggest advantages of hiring them. Freelancers love setting their own hours and working in their own surroundings.…

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How can Dark Fibre Solutions Benefit your Business?

Demand for internet and related telecommunications services has grown significantly in the last few years. This has compelled businesses to explore access technologies that promote their information technology (IT) investments.

Dark fibre

Dark fibre solutions offer a cost-effective way for businesses to control their bandwidth requirements and fool-proof their operations. They offer dedicated fibre networks for organisations. This means that you will have a private network that only you can access.

Each fibre will only handle your traffic and this gives you a lot of flexibility. These solutions can provide a variety of benefits for your business including:

Unlimited Bandwidth at Reasonable Costs

This is one of the main reasons why businesses need to take advantage of these solutions.…

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Modern Printer Innovations: Refillable Cartridges and Other Ink Inspirations

It is quite a startling fact to discover that UK households work their way through some 50 million inkjet cartridges every year.

Color ink for refillable cartridges

It is therefore no surprise that many consumers are looking for ways to reduce their printing costs by taking advantage of some modern printer innovations such as refillable cartridges and other ideas that offer a cost-saving and environmentally-option by allowing you to print with greater efficiency and economy.

Here is a look at some the technology now available and how it could save you money and print more efficiently and resourcefully.

Refillable tanks

Epson have recently introduced a new breed of printers that would appear to be offering an end to our reliance on ink cartridges.…

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Why Should a CEO Care About Employer Brand?

CEOs have many things to occupy their attention. There’s share price, growth, profit levels, competitors and new product development. Why should they add Employer Brand to their list? Isn’t it just another fad? Perhaps they remember the noise around CSR a few years ago that has now become a faint whisper? Will the same happen to the term Employer Brand?

Employer branding

To decide its value, it might be useful to explore the impact of being seen as a great employer with a strong Employer Brand.

Recruitment

The economy seems to be improving almost daily. After the last few recessionary years, it may be tempting for a company to think that it can recruit great people instantly.…

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Choosing the Best Website Hosting for a Personal or Community site

Ever noticed how most of the advice you receive online about choosing a web hosting plan focuses on business customers? There’s no end to the number of articles or blogs out there giving us tips on how to pick hosting that helps us to make money and serve our customers.

Web hosting

But what if we don’t have customers? What if we’re not in the business of making money at all, but instead want to launch a new website dedicated to something we’re passionate about, like a hobby or special area of knowledge? What if the only goal for our website is to keep members of our community, local sports team or church group informed about what’s going on?…

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On-Trend Buildings from Shipping Containers

One of the most ideal locations in the United States for purchasing shipping containers is in the Pacific Northwest, which is known for being the setting for the popular “Twilight” movies and books. Fans of the series, based on the novels of author Stephanie Meyers, may remember the opening scene in the third film of the “Twilight: Eclipse,” in which errant Forks, WA student Riley Biers (Xavier Samuel), haplessly exits a bar, only to be taunted, by a (literal) pushy supernatural force, who edges him onto a rainy, dark, wooden pier. Situated on that and many other docks are cargo ships that transport many of the shipping containers for sale.…

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Could Your Small Business be Acting Faster?

Small business startups know all-too-well the value of minutes and seconds in matters of money. Making a sale or sealing a contract often requires precise timing in getting the gears turning. The hard part is knowing when to start and at which r.p.m. each one should be set. Enterprises large and small spend considerable amounts of time looking over data and coordinating team member efforts before they act on the information learned therein.

Serious business meeting

Information. It’s what’s necessary for successful company actions. The faster you get it, the quicker you can make the decisions that make money. It’s no wonder small business have a reputation for being sleepless beings bent on sharing the experience with the team.…

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How Safe is your Company from Losing Credibility?

Carmakers that need to recall defective vehicles lose credibility. Multinational banks busted for bribing foreign officials lose credibility. And brand name designers busted for running sweatshops in third world countries lose credibility. People thinking of buying that product or using that service prefer to look elsewhere.

Thumb up for being credible

There is nothing more damaging to a company than loss of credibility. It’s more than a loss of face from bad press, it also loss of valuable market share. For large companies, it could mean millions in loss. For small to medium companies, it could mean struggling to stay in business. And for startups, it’s often the kiss of death.…

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Today’s Top Tech Careers: Tips for Becoming Microsoft Certified

One of the most well-recognized certifications today is the Microsoft cert. A Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) credential qualifies you to work on Windows Networks, but it’s not necessarily the easiest certification out there. It tests your knowledge of a particular operating system, usually the most recent rollout, while preparing you for higher-level certifications. Here’s how to get started and some tips that will help you succeed.

Microsoft Certified Professional certificate

Do you want to work in the Windows environment?

The Microsoft certification is for those who want to work in a Microsoft environment. While it might seem obvious, a lot of IT professionals are moving to the Apple/mac world, or have little interest in working on PCs.…

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Picnic and Barbecue Planning Pointers for Businesses on a Budget

Company picnics boost morale and show appreciation for the work your employees do. They also show a commitment to your staff. At the same time, they can be expensive. Many employees don’t realize the cost involved in hosting an event, with the biggest costs being food and entertainment. Here’s how to have a BBQ event that won’t break the corporate bank account.

Company picnic

Get Organized

Start with an inventory of everything you need. This is also a great time to make a budget for your party. Set a dollar amount that you cannot exceed. Then, write down categories like “food,” and “party favors,” and “beverages,” and “invitations,” and “raffle items.”…

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