Discuss To Nonprofit Fundraising

Introduction

Nonprofit fundraising is a complicated topic and a critical function. Nonprofits are in a unique position from businesses in that they cannot price their products and services to, well, make a profit. Operating budgets must be conceived from other sources than program revenues.

This is a guide focused on fundraising for nonprofits. It will discuss the following major topics:

1. Crafting a nonprofit fundraising strategy

2. Optimizing your organization

3. Kick starting your donor development

4. Developing your marketing campaign

5. Leveraging grants and other funding opportunities

Before we begin, here is a brief background on funding.

How are nonprofits funded?

The following categories make up the bulk of funding for nonprofits:

• Fees for Goods/Services from Private Sources - this is driven largely by hospitals and higher-education nonprofits who charge fees for services, tuition, etc.
• Fees for Goods/Services from Government Sources - includes things like Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements
• Government Grants - cash awarded to organizations with varying stipulations attached
• Private Contributions - charitable donations and grants from private individuals, corporations, etc.
• Investment Income - endowments make up a significant portion of income, especially among foundations

Where do donations come from?

Private contributions make up the largest portion of non-program-related revenue streams for nonprofits. These donations totaled $373.25 billion in 2015.

Of this amount, 71% came from individuals, while the rest came from foundation grants, bequests and other corporate philanthropy.

While this represents enormous potential, it brings even more enormous challenges for nonprofits looking to focus marketing and fundraising strategies on specific channels. The need for personal touch with most individual donors makes it hard to scale funding strategies focused on individual donors.

Craft the perfect nonprofit fundraising strategy

Any successful initiative requires a plan. To maximize your organization's potential, it is important to understand where you are today and define specific paths to where you need to be in the future. A useful strategic plan for your fundraising function will provide a sense of direction for your organization and outline measurable goals to assess progress.

1. Establish a vision

The first thing you want to do is create an ideal version of your organization. Leslie Allen from Front Range Source published a good guide on the topic where she suggests you ask yourself the following questions:

A bit of administrative work should also be done now... specifically setting a budget for how much you wish to spend on this nonprofit fundraising strategy and an implementation timeline that you wish to achieve your goals by.

2. Understand your current state

Describe your organization as it exists today. This will form the foundation for which your strategy will be executed against.

You should take inventory of all the different funding sources you currently use and have used in the past. Try to rank and prioritize the effectiveness and quantity of funds raised from each one. Take note of what's worked in the past and what hasn't.

Take an external perspective if possible. If you can afford to audit your organization, do it. If not, be as unbiased as possible in determining how effective your organization performs in this area, and compare it to other organizations. Use either current employees or colleagues from outside the organization to get a picture of how other nonprofits perform.

Understand your strengths and weaknesses! If you are too overly funded by a specific source-let's say a specific government grant that comes in each year and funds 90% of your budget-you need to address this. Like any business overly concentrated on one customer, you run the risk of being shut down, should the government grant stop.

Don't limit yourself to single or few funding sources whenever possible. Make your organization invulnerable to things you can't control.

3. Envision your future state

Use the answers produced in your vision creation to help craft your future state. Where the vision phase is about creating conceptual ideals for what your organization should look like, this phase should be about quantifying them.

Decide exactly what you want to concentrate on. If you decided that a focused nonprofit fundraising strategy was the way to go, make sure to document why it is the best course and what the benefits of this choice will be.

The result of this phase should be a set of goals that you want your organization to achieve.

4. Perform a gap analysis

By quantifying your future state and documenting where you stand today, your next step is to perform a gap analysis. It is critical to understand where all the major gaps are in your organization.

If you have 90% of your revenue coming from one government grant and your future state involves diversifying your revenue streams, then obviously here is a major gap in your strategy.

Always know your organization's vulnerabilities. Prioritize what you think are the most critical gaps and areas that could produce the most impact full change if they are closed.

5. Connect the dots

The final step requires determining exactly what actions need to be done to achieve your desired state.

Break up the goals into key initiatives. You should ideally come up with a list of projects that can be executed on, each with different rankings for cost, effort, time, and impact.

Create a matrix that assesses each project against these four dimensions and rank the projects according to your priorities. If your strategy needs to be completed quickly with less regard to cost, then rank projects requiring less time higher. If you want the biggest impact of your initiatives, then rank those ones higher, with the understanding it might take longer and cost more than other projects.

Always understand the project management triangle of cost vs. scope vs. time. Any strategic decision will be based on these three constraints. Any change to one constraint necessitates a change in the others. Or else quality suffers.

Be sure to get all the right stakeholders involved in this priority setting process to make sure your strategic alignment matches your organization's vision and your board's idea of what needs to be done.

Optimize your organization for change

A common mistake among nonprofits is the lack of a single person who oversees the entire "money function" of the organization. It isn't enough to have an individual who manages only government contracts, or only individual donors - you absolutely must have someone who oversees all cash flows into the organization.

Development director office

To ensure you hire or promote from within the right candidate for the job, you must be able to offer enough of a salary to entice someone to stay and grow the organization. Check competitive rates of not only nonprofit development directors, but also nonprofit CFOs, for-profit CFOs, etc.

It may be painful trying to come up with the money to pay someone to do this job-which is typically lower than executive director or other high-ranking positions in your organization-but it's worth it.

You're paying for people who spend 100% of their time focused on money. And in a few years' time, they should be paying their own salaries with the work they've done to increase your organization's capacity.

Build a business environment that enables development.

Beyond just funding the salary of your rock-star fundraiser, it is important to give this person authority over creating a team and office within your organization. By choosing the right person, you can ensure that they know exactly how many staff they need and what roles they need to hire to perform specific tasks (marketing plans, technology upgrades, cold calling, etc.).

Additionally, you must budget for costs like software, computer upgrades, marketing collateral, association dues, professional development, and so forth.

You want to create an environment that enables development success. In this way, you help retain top talent that can executive on longer-term strategies that have the highest potential for organizational growth.

Bottom line - You want to hire the right person who will help grow your organization. They need to have the keys to the kingdom when it comes to seeing how all money flows in and out. They need the ability to propose and set a budget and to executive on their strategies.

Bonus tip - leverage volunteers.

Use unpaid help to support your efforts in reaching out to people. Especially for organizations with slim staff and budgets, this can be an effective tool. Tap into your alumni pool and other partners/alliances you may have formed in the past.

Volunteers can be especially useful when promoting events, selling tickets, or soliciting sponsorships.

Engage with your board

Your board of trustees ultimately sets the direction and vision for your organization. As a result, we need to spend some significant time making sure everyone is aligned with what we are trying to accomplish with fundraising.

The role of the board typically changes based on the size of the organization-smaller organizations have board members that typically take a more operational and hands-on approach, while larger organizations may have board members more focused on governance issues.

Regardless of the size of your nonprofit, it is critical to make sure everyone understands the importance of philanthropy and can agree on a high-level strategy for accomplishing the mission.

Have an open conversation about what role board members can play in nonprofit fundraising. Beyond agreeing on strategies, this can be an extremely beneficial task in helping to grow and retain donors. For example, a simple thank-you goes a long way. A fundraising study performed by Cygnus found that when donors got a thank-you call from board members within days of making a gift:

• 93% said they would definitely or probably give again
• 84% said they would make a larger gift
• 74% said they would continue giving indefinitely

Find ways to engage donors. Use board members for this purpose. Their clout alone brings great respect to the people who donate to the organization. This should be used to your advantage.

Just as important as engaging board members with donors, is keeping donors engaged in the strategy. Present strategy proposals and work in their feedback. This ensures alignment and sense of purpose with board members.

Keep everyone involved in the budget setting process so they know a strategy goes beyond simple concepts and pipe dreams. The board needs to know that fundraising is staff driven and presenting a simple projection of anticipated costs and revenue with a strategy can go a long way in helping drive change.

Most importantly - realize when you have good board members and do everything you can to retain them. Keep them motivated. Listen to what they say. Their contacts and knowledge go a long way toward helping drive your strategy, so realize what you have while you have it and don't risk losing good board members to greener pastures.

Measuring and communicating impact

After staff and board considerations, the next big item to prepare for is impact measurement. You need to be able to communicate your story with words and numbers.

Nonprofit fundraising is much more than asking for donations. It includes everything before and after this step... from searching for supporters to expressing gratitude and measuring impact. Measuring impact helps you do two things:

1. Evaluate fundraising campaign effectiveness
2. Demonstrate your program's effectiveness and help tell a story that will attract future funding

Your programs already exist to further your organization's mission. And for programs that do it well, there should be data that prove it. Make sure to have the systems in place to capture the results of your programs' efforts. (Note: systems don't need to be complicated... they can simply be processes used to document results of activities.)

Use your mission to determine a set of outcomes you wish to achieve. Then work backwards to determine the activities you can perform to get there.

For more information check out Whole Whale's guide on measuring nonprofit impact.

Once you've set up your impact measurement processes, find ways to communicate your results on your website. This may come in the form of dashboards, case studies, personal stories, etc. Be sure to consistently update your content to not only keep things fresh, but communicate your continued success.

If a donor visits your site and sees overwhelming evidence of the good things you're doing, he will be more likely to buy into your cause and believe that his donations are being well spent.

How much do you spend on fundraising?

CharityWatch analyzes the effectiveness of nonprofits across a wide range of statistics. One particular interesting number is the "Cost to Raise $100." Exactly how it sounds, this reflects how much it costs a charity to bring in $100 of public donations.

On this basis, a nonprofit is considered highly efficient if its cost to raise $100 is $25 or less.

Practically speaking, determine how much you want to raise with your nonprofit fundraising strategy or even a specific campaign. Start with a 4:1 ratio to get to the $25 mark and go from there. If you wanted to raise $5,000,000, you would start your budget at $1,250,000. Adjust from there.

Kick start your donor development

Now the section that probably brought most of you here... actual donor development.

You have your organization set up for success. You have a clear vision of what you want to accomplish. Your board is behind you and you have the right staff to tackle the job. Now how do you actually find funding?

Prospecting and donor research

Many experts like to talk about a fundraising pyramid. A strong general fund of small donors supports a smaller core of mid-level gifts on top of which is a few major donors for your organization.

You want to maximize each level of this pyramid and continuously work on moving people upward.

The first step is to create a list of prospects. The most common prospecting strategies combine the following approaches:

• Direct mail or email
• Brainstorming of prospects (using board members and staff alike)
• Prospect research (databases full of free or purchasable contact lists)

Donors give for their own reasons, not yours. When assessing your current prospect pool and searching for more, evaluate the following characteristics of each prospect:

• Longevity - How long has this person been giving? Should they possibly move up the pyramid if they've been here a while?
• Cumulative giving - Are prospects donating in lump sums or giving multiple times per year? Look for the latter as good opportunities to move up the pyramid.
• Engagement - Look for people who are reading your newsletters, responding to your calls, reaching out about your organization... these are the types you want to move up the pyramid.

Leverage Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems

When you begin a prospect gathering mission, it couldn't hurt to start by scrubbing your current database (whether its paper files or an Excel workbook or an entire donor management system). It is good to get a clear idea of everyone you have previously had relationships to understand your likelihood of using these people as a base for your new strategy or as referrals to new candidates.

Once you have a baseline of prospects, decide if you should leverage more advanced technology for your nonprofit fundraising efforts.

The benefits of a formal CRM system are enormous for all types of organizations. With the proper system in place, your organization has the ability to record all communications with donors and prospects, track their personal characteristics, create easy email campaigns, find volunteers, and so on.

Especially useful are these systems' abilities to report on progress during campaigns and analyze the demographics of donors and prospects. You can run reports that help determine which people in which locations to target for each specific kind of outreach. This helps when trying to nail down a specific donor outreach campaign.

Tech Soup has a breakdown of 8 top CRM systems for nonprofits as well. Perform a similar analysis to this when evaluating software for your organization.

Ensure donors keep giving

You have two major goals with donor development:

1. Make sure current donors keep giving.
2. Try to move donors up to mid-level and major gift level status.

Some useful tips for maintaining and improving donor relationships range from simple thank-you notes to community recognition to providing access to special information or services.

Personal touch goes a long way in cultivating relationships with donors. Invite people individually to events or conference calls you may have. Point out donors who have given in a monthly newsletter. Everyone enjoys a little recognition, especially if they are intent on furthering their own missions of giving.

More tactically, you can use donor surveys and other donor-directed communications to try to get a feel for how they perceive your organization to be doing. Gear your marketing collateral to them based on specific programs and results that you're achieving.

While you're publishing data and other marketing collateral for wider consumption, try to focus specific pieces to donors only to let them see inside the progress you're really making as an organization. You can use a more friendly and informal tone when communicating with current donors, to help aid in the relationship building process.

Hold special events just for donors. Have a social where donors can meet one another and discuss their own missions and visions for what they want to achieve. Everybody appreciates being connected with more people who can help their cause... so use this avenue intelligently to help boost relationships among your community.

Work the pyramid

Asking for more money is never easy, especially if you fear losing a relationship with a person who has given faithfully to your organization for many years.

But you must overcome this fear and ask for more money.

Why would someone consider giving you more money?

First, they must believe in your mission. It must support something they find dear to them. So, communicate your mission accurately and descriptively.

Second, they must believe in your team and that you will use their money wisely. No, they don't expect a return on their investment, but with the thousands of nonprofits out there competing for their dollars, they have plenty of options to choose from when giving to a charity.

Most importantly, donors increase their gifts when asked to. Unless you ask, they'll likely continue giving the standard amount-which is fine-but we're trying to build a fundraising strategy for growth.

Key takeaway - You should aim as high as possible when placing prospects in your donor pyramid. The bigger you make the mid-level and high-level sections, the better off your organization will be. You can count on these larger donations on a more regular basis, which can be used a springboard for future growth.

Develop an impeccable marketing campaign

There are many different tools you can leverage and approaches you can take to boost your nonprofit fundraising strategy.

Major types of communication

The basic types of marketing channels are generally known. You can communicate direct via email, phone call or personal visit. You can communicate to a broader scale with public speaking, newsletters, website content, advertising etc. The main thing to know is what you're trying to accomplish with each type of communication.

You're not going to get a major donation from sending out a newsletter-you might, but this type of communication is generally geared to higher-volume, lower-dollar amounts.

You're typically going to want to use more mass communication methods for filling your pipeline and those earlier-stage types of activities. More direct personal touch is required to close most deals, especially when more money is on the line.

When to use each approach

A good approach uses a mix of all the techniques discussed above. There will be times you want to target individuals and times you'll want to target groups.

Direct Mail/Email

This method can be used whether you're reaching out to an individual or your entire prospect list. Be sure to use mail over email if you plan to have a later-in-the-process "sales" discussion with a prospect as physical mail has a more personal touch.

Use this technique when you want to connect directly with individuals. Be sure to use personal touch to make the recipient feel that this note has more value than the other things that end up in the trash. Also include a call to action-conversion rates skyrocket by simply including an option to act on your message.

Advertising

Use this technique when you want to reach out to more than just your immediate community. This can be through printed newspapers and periodicals, on the radio or through television or other forms of media.

Make sure you know the expected return on investment before planning any fundraising dollars to this method, but realize it can pay off especially if you want to educate the masses or get your brand and mission out there.

Internet Marketing

A much cheaper form of marketing your brand, the use of social media platforms and other online communities allows you to connect with the largest number of potential donors for the lowest overall cost.

Besides simply promoting your content or brand, you can include calls to action like "donate now" on a nonprofit Facebook page. The Internet was made to reach people quickly and cheaply. Use it to your advantage.

Special Promotions

Host an event that brings together different people in your community and use the platform to raise funds. Everyone likes to be connected to like-minded individuals. By creating somewhat regular events that accomplish this, you can provide spikes in your donation intake at certain times of the year.

An annual appeal may work here. Market the opportunity as an annual or monthly gathering, and give people a reason to attend. The key here is to make sure you don't overdo it. Don't host too many events or the idea of a special promotion loses its luster. Why would a donor attend your annual appeal if you actually had weekly appeals? No luster.

Public Relations

When you host an event or produce a new piece of useful content, create a press release to announce it to your community. Like advertising, this has the opportunity of reaching a large number of people.

Just keep in mind that you will get more press coverage in an area if you can show that your news directly impacts the community.

Additional methods for nonprofit fundraising success

Of note are co branding and affinity marketing. Up to 6% of all product launches rely on some form of co branding. Get your name attached to others who support similar causes. You shouldn't see other organizations as merely competitors... but rather as potential complements to your strategy.

Work with partners to build a whole that's greater than the sum of the parts. Unlock hidden potential by partnering with the right affiliates to help extend your reach beyond your immediate community.

What about crowdfunding?

In a society that's continuing to be more interested in social impact, this is a potentially huge area to raise funds.

Think of Kick starter. Anyone can promote any cause and collect money from anyone around the world. All they need to do is connect to an investor's sense of purpose.

Be aware there are fees attached! If using a public platform, understand the costs associated. Take the time to compare different platforms and factor in the cost to raise money with any effort placed on a platform.

Also be aware of nonprofit fundraising laws! With the internet it is much easier to raise money from people in multiple states, even if you operate in just one. Many states require nonprofits to register in order to conduct fundraising within their jurisdiction-this may apply to more states than intended if you plan to raise funds online. The National Association of State Charity Officials published a guide for social media and internet solicitation.

That being said, there are definitely opportunities to use crowdfunding to your advantage.

Craft the right story

There are many ways to get a person to be interested in your organization. Most include connecting with their individual sense of purpose. You need them to feel the pain you're trying to solve.

You might think you don't have all the right details for a truly compelling story, but you're wrong!

Beth Kanter outlines four classic story lines that work well when soliciting donors:

1. Overcoming the monster - Talk about some form of adversity your organization is tackling. Are 99% of kids in your region on subsidized school lunch programs? Okay... tell that story.
2. Rags to riches - Use your actual clients or service recipients as a catalyst. Explain the poor circumstances that led to them using your organization, and the 180 degree turnaround you helped them achieve. Don't be afraid to get detailed in describing the low point.
3. Quest - Everyone loves a good quest story. We're on a quest to a completely carbon neutral society. Where do we stand on that long journey? What are you doing about it?
4. Tragedy - Some events have the ability to appeal to the masses. Think of the recent devastating earthquakes across southern U.S. and Puerto Rico. Tell that story. Make people feel compelled to do something for all those suffering.

Leverage grants and other funding opportunities

While donors may make up a good core of your fundraising strategy, there are often overlooked free dollars out there that you may qualify for without realizing. It is important to understand where these areas of opportunity are and to always incorporate grants and other free money into your fundraising plans.

Master grant research

There are growing numbers of online sources that can be used for free (or at reasonable costs) to help in your prospect search. Download the free premium edition of this guide to see a list of the top sources and some of their details and how best to use each one.

Write a killer proposal

Finding the right grant for your organization is only half the battle.

How do you now secure the funding?

If you've never written a grant proposal before, check out Grant Space's free introductory grant-writing class. It can be done online or in person and should help provide a baseline for writing a good proposal.

GrantSpace also includes a repository of sample documents. This ranges from proposals to letters of inquiry to cover letters to budgets.

Key things to consider...

Do your homework! If you find a grant and it has a request for proposals (RFP), then it should have all the guidelines for you to consider. Read the document carefully. Understand any deadlines, if there is a letter of intent due before the application, the ceiling amount for funding, etc.

Then go to the funder's website and see what other types of organizations are typically funded. Visit their websites and see the kinds of programs they offer. Does your organization seem to fit this mold? Write your proposal keeping in mind what types of programs worked in the past for this funder.

Start planning. If you agree your organization is a good fit for the grant, meet with your team and start outlining what needs to be done. If a letter of intent (LOI) is required, use it to your advantage. This is your one- or two-page pitch to the funder to show why you're a great fit for them. If the funder likes you, they will ask you to submit a full proposal. This is potentially a huge time saver, if in fact you are not a realistic recipient for this grant.

Reach out to the funder's program officer. They're generally very friendly people and a simple conversation can go a long way. Either you briefly discuss your idea and it's not a fit, and you've saved yourself the time and effort putting together a full proposal.

Or you're a great fit, you hit it off with the funder, and you've started a great relationship together, essentially completing the first stage of the application process.

This could lead to many years of future funding. Don't overlook this useful step! Try to build a relationship with the funder before you've formally applied for funding.

When you finally start your proposal, you should have all the information you need to be confident that you will win the award. It should be 5-15 pages long and cover things such as a summary of your program, background and needs, goals, evaluation process, budget, timeline, and any partnerships you are planning to leverage.

Remember to answer every part of every question!

RFPs can be very long and tedious, but any excuse to dismiss an applicant is usually enough to throw the proposal in the trash. Don't risk this. Don't worry about fluffy language... get straight to the point. Feel free to leverage content from previous proposals, as often the same questions are asked in RFPs.

Submit your proposal and be confident you will win. If not, you move on. There are plenty of other grant opportunities out there... see the previous section...

The grant-writing process

If you've been following all the steps outlined in this guide, the actual grant-writing process will be the least stressful part. You've already got the foundation for sustained excellence engrained in your organization.

Starting New Business Tips

Now you have been putting in the extended hours of time as an employee and you need to work for yourself rather or perhaps you as of now function as a self-employed entity and it is simply time to formally set up the legitimate stuff to secure and enhance what you have made. So how would you begin a business? That is a great inquiry that we need to investigate in more detail and as the primary request of business (play on words proposed) is to choose what kind of lawful structure we should use to secure ourselves.

Numerous options are accessible to the new business in regards to the authoritative document it should take. Moreover, a current business may think that it's attractive to change forms.

There are plus points and drawbacks to any business form that are excessively numerous. In any case, in looking at organizations the reader ought to have no less than a general idea of the options. The accompanying discussion isn't an intensive discourse of the tax or business parts of the business writes specified. Just the general "widely inclusive" ideas of each will be addressed.

Sole Proprietors

Sole proprietorship are the least complex business form since they are not separate tax or lawful elements yet rather, expansions of the individual taxpayer that claims them. The business has no presence separated from the proprietor. Its liabilities are the proprietor's close to personal liabilities.

Every advantage in a sole-proprietorship is dealt with separately for tax purposes, instead of as a feature of one general ownership interest. For instance, a sole proprietor offering a whole business as a going concern figures gain or loss independently on every asset.

There is no exceptional return to file for the sole proprietorship. The proprietor reports all transactions of the business all alone individual pay tax return (i.e., Schedule C, Form 1040).

A sole proprietor is viewed as independently employed. If a taxpayer is a sole proprietor, there is no tax impact if they remove cash from the business, or exchange cash to or from the business.

Advantages

The advantages of a sole proprietorship are:

(1) Organizational costs should be low;

(2) Legal, accounting, and administrative fees are lower;

(3) State and federal income taxes may be lower; and

(4) Administration is less complicated.

Disadvantages

The disadvantages of a sole proprietorship are:

(1) Personal liability,

(2) Inability to income split,

(3) Limited fringe benefits, and

(4) Self-employment tax.

Self Employment Tax

In the event that a taxpayer is a sole proprietor, they should pay self-employment tax (§1401). The self-employed tax is the non-worker part of the Social Security tax raising system. In 2017, independent work tax takes 15.3% of pay (12.4% for social security [OASDI] and 2.9% for Medicare [HI]) from self-employment. Deductible things like home loan interest, land taxes, state wage tax, Keogh plan or IRA deductions, and so forth don't diminish self-employment tax. Nonetheless, since 1990, business deductions, in addition to a sum equivalent to the self-employed tax on half of self-employment income, are permissible in diminishing the self-employed income.

In 2017, the social security tax is forced on the main $127,200 of self work income and the Medicare tax is forced on all self-employment income.

If you want to be financially empowered, at that point finding out about how to maintain your business is super vital. When you pick your form to work together, you should pay your employees as you become bigger, or possibly simply pay yourself. Benefits of new business.

The Career and Growth Path : Food Business Consultant

The food business term and consultant, itself reveals a lot of information. Basically, it is the industry that provides with all the knowledge, guidance and assistance required by the people in their businesses that involve food, including hotels, restaurants, schools, and cafeterias, or any other place where the food is served to the people.

The main purpose of the people belonging to the particular business is to serve their clients in order to offset the problems that occur in their food business. Also, not only at the time of the problem, but the consultants can be approached when someone is about to start his/her new business related to food, they can seek the advice of the food business consultants. As they have the proper and required knowledge, they can assist to solve any kind of problem in a cost-effective way.

Two parties, the consultants and their client (who is in need), are involved in the process. A specific time is decided in advance with a specific aim to achieve and accordingly the fees is charged.

Career path to become "Food business consultant"

Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI) is a worldwide industry association that promotes professionalism in foodservice and hospitality consulting.The eligible candidate must clear the two exams to become professional members of the Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI).

Various steps involved in the process of becoming a food business consultant:

— Degree

One must attain a bachelor's degree in food science, food industry management, hospitality or any field related to food industry, in order to pursue the same as the career path. One can get the degree online as many organizations offer the online courses as well.

— Gain experience

In order to become a professional member of the FCSI, an individual must have at least three years of experience in the foodservice industry. Capable consultants can gain the practical experience by working at various levels in the variety of work environments, including, school cafeterias, hospitals, restaurants, fast food establishments, etc.

— The position of an employee of a food business consultant firm

An individual must work his or her way up in the professional hierarchy of food industry consultants and seek employment with a food industry consulting firm. At the initial level, the employee may work in any of the job related to food that is available at the firm and should strive for opportunities to become a project manager in the later course.

— An Associate Member of the FCSI

Before the topmost level, there are a lot of executive levels for a person to clear. Executive or the associate levels are majorly termed as the learning or the trainee levels, where the capable person learns everything in order to attain the higher position in his/her field. An FCSI associate member, after working as project manager, qualifies to become a senior associate member of the FCSI.

— Professional Member of FCSI

After completing the above steps, an individual is eligible to become a professional member of the FCSI. Individuals who succeed to become the professional members are further eligible to serve people that are seeking the help of the qualified food industry consultants. consultant and terms condition in the business and value must be involved.

How to Become a Courts Interpreter

You're considering a career as a translator or interpreter, we have some good news: there are plenty of opportunities in this field. In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, careers as a translator or interpreter are projected to grow by 18% between now and 2026, which is much faster than average.

One of the most sought-after jobs within the translation industry is that of court interpreter, and with good reason. Court interpreters are an important and integral part of our judicial system, affording witnesses who are not fluent in English the opportunity to express themselves and tell their stories inside the courtroom. In addition to courtroom trials, interpreters are often called upon to interpret in other legal proceedings, such as legal meetings, arraignments, preliminary hearings, or depositions, for example. Interpreters may also be responsible for reading and simultaneously interpreting foreign language documents aloud inside the courtroom. Being an interpreter in this type of environment can be a challenging and demanding career, but one that many linguists also find to be extremely rewarding. As you might have already guessed, it does take some preparation to enter into this field.

Generally speaking, court interpreters must be fluent in the foreign language(s) required by the court, and must also have a strong knowledge of legal terminology and the processes that take place inside the courtroom. While some of this familiarly may come in the form of on-the-job training, courts typically require a certain level of education and experience before they choose the best-qualified individual. Although the exact requirements for court interpreters vary depending on the specific court and location involved, there are certain prerequisites that are typically desirable for anyone interested in pursuing this challenging career:

Bachelor's degree

Most courts won't consider candidates who don't hold at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college. Graduates who major in translation studies and/or court interpreting would be considered the most qualified, but several other fields are appropriate as well, such as foreign language majors in Spanish or French, for example.

Certification

Obtaining certification from a recognized professional court interpreter program could give you an advantage over other applicants. This type of certification usually provides enrollees the opportunity to take coursework that is directly pertinent to their future careers, such as classes in penal code, court procedures, and simultaneous translation, for example.

On-the-job experience

It's the age-old conundrum for college graduates: how do I gain the experience required to get hired? Many courts are looking for experienced court interpreters. If you're fresh out of college, consider working for a translation company or pursuing volunteer work or an internship that would provide you with the experience that many courts look for in a qualified candidate.

Adapt a flexible attitude when applying for positions

It's entirely possible that you may have to move or make some concessions with regard to your desired salary in order to break into this profession. When applying for your first job as a court interpreter, remember that getting your "foot in the door" is always somewhat of a challenge, and you may have to relocate or take a salary that is lower than you would like in order to get your first job.

Becoming a court interpreter definitely requires time and effort on the part of the candidate. But many people who already hold these coveted positions will tell you that the challenge and responsibility involved make it all worthwhile. Think of the journey to your goal as a stepwise process, and keep in mind that each step along the way - including education, certification, and the application process - will ultimately lead you to an extremely rewarding career that might very well last a lifetime.

At MI Translations, our commitment to our customers is as unwavering as our dedication to providing accurate, precise translation services. We have been able to distinguish ourselves because of our team and the processes we employ to guide our work. Committed to everything we do.

You need a Change of Air ? Become an Arborist

 A majority of people feel they are in it, and they think there is no escape.

What's worse is they hate their day job.

85% of people hate their job according to a Gallop poll taken in 2017, but they either don't know what else to do or they are simply too scared to make a move.

Let's get real. You really do only do live once. If you're lucky you will make it to 80 years of age. That's 80 summers, 80 winters, 80 autumns and just 80 springs. When you think about it like that, life all of a sudden, seems a lot shorter!

So why do we waste our time working a job we hate?

If you're a fan of the outdoors, and don't shy away from a little physical labour, then maybe becoming an arborist could be the dream job you are looking for.

If you are after something that is outdoors, keeps you fit and your up for a bit of an adventure, then you really could be missing your calling.

Firstly, what is an arborist?

The word arbor or arborist comes from the word arboriculture, which is the study of trees, shrubs and other perennial plants. Becoming an arborist is a trade so you will need a minimum of Certificate II in Arboriculture to get you started.

Types of Arbor Jobs

The climber

Just as it sounds, pruning and removing trees in confined spaces (in suburbia) requires an arborist to scale the tree using a harness and ropes. If you are finding it hard to picture, think of rock climbing, but just replace the cliff with a tree.

Once up the tree, they work with the crew on the ground (groundsmen) to tie-off branches 1 by 1, cut with a chainsaw and then lower them to the ground.

This job is for the fitness freak (or those of you who want to be fitter and much stronger). There are no two ways about it... its hard work. You can't be scared of heights and thinking on your feet is a given. Well thinking while swinging from branch 30 foot above the ground to be more accurate.

This truly is a rewarding part of the job, the views the smells, the feeling of being at one with nature... It really is life changing.

The Groundsmen

Also known as 'groundies', groundsmen are there to assist in the removal of trees. Although being a climber can be physically challenging, it's fair to say the grounding to a bulk of the heavy labor. Dragging branches, on the chainsaw all day. It can be hard work.

Like any job, your work mates make the job fun, and with the right crew on the ground the jobs a blast. And as far as hard labour goes, the rule of thumb is, the bigger the company, the less labor there is.

That's because bigger companies go for productivity and tend to splash out on machinery to make the work easier and p lough through the work faster.

Get in with a crew that has a bobcat and a crane and the works a breeze.

The consulting arborvitae

This is the 'professional arborist'. Their sole purpose is the advise home owners and council the best course of action when dealing with trees.

Just say a home owner wants a tree to be removed and because they are building a new pool. An arborist is needed to write a report about the health, vitality, vigour and amenity value of said tree and advise council on whether to give permission to remove or not.

This job is by no means labour intensive, but these days you need to have a diploma in arboriculture to do it. There a lot more study involved then if you wanted to climb or ground.

Qualifications

You will need to complete a minimum Certificate II in Arboriculture. This will be 1 day per week for a year at TAFE. You can also get on the job experience and get assessed by private organizations such as the International Society of Arboriculture or ISA.

So if you are looking for a change of air, love working outdoors and you really do want to see the forest for the trees, arboriculture is well worth a second thought as a career change. the big Lesson of work.

Finding Professionals to Create Your Exhibition Materials And Arrange Contractors

All exhibition stand contractors offer the same value or will go the distance for your business. It takes time to find a professional you can trust and you can fully communicate with. You have to be able to trust them to help you create an idea and bring it to life! They have to be able to do so in a timely manner and for a price that fits well in your budget.

Taking the time to find out who is available and what they offer is an important step. Your displays are far too important to leave to luck. You need a proven professional to help you get results you can count on. The goal of such materials is to gain the interest of potential consumers. If they fall short, you have let that opportunity slip through your fingers.

Credentials

Learn what you can about exhibition stand contractors to decide who you will evaluate closer. Rule out those that don't have the credentials you are impressed with. Rule out those that don't have good feedback and reviews from other customers. You need someone exception to help you create something amazing that you can proudly display to represent your business.

Do they Listen?

A free consultation is a good start. This entails setting up a time to meet with the exhibition stand contractors and see what they have to offer. Share with them what you are after, and see if they really listen. Do they also ask questions to give them a clear idea of what you are after? Understanding the parameters of your needs should help them create ideas.

Do they Envision?

As they talk do you, pay attention to the behaviour of the exhibition stand contractors. Do they seem to be envisioning concepts as they talk to you? Perhaps they have some basic ideas to run by you, a clear indicator that they can come up with something creative and unique for your business to do well with.

What Methods do they Use?

Ask questions about the methods they use to create such products. You need to inquire about the types of materials they will be printed on. You need the items to be vibrant, alive, and to really capture the attention of all who walk by your display. Don't assume the methods they will use are going to achieve such a goal.

Can they do it in your Time frame?

Make sure you share with exhibition stand contractors how much time you have before you need those items completed. The more time you can give them, the easier it is for them to put together an exceptional concept. You can't expect them to do it in just a few days, that isn't practical! Before you hire them and move into the final steps of creation, make sure the time is accepted.

This will help you to avoid feeling stressed during the process of decision making. You don't want to feel backed into a corner where you have to accept the first idea they present because you are running out of time.

What is the Price Quote?

Another factor you should discuss with exhibition stand contractors is how much they are going to charge you for the work. They should be able to give you a price quote along with that deadline. This ensures you are comfortable with the cost, not overwhelmed by it when the work is done and then you struggle to pay for it.

Get the information first so you can feel good about the decision. The cost will depend on who you work with, what they offer, and other variables. Look for an excellent provider who can help you in a timely fashion.

Promotional Specialties Good for Fast Run Business

For colorful printed t-shirts with your logo or advertisement, promotional specialties can be good for your business no matter what part of the world you are located.

If you have a business then imprinted promotional items can help you spread the word about your business, attract customers and provide them with a usable item they can remember you with.

And it doesn't matter where you are located, these items should be a part of your promotional and advertising campaigns and efforts.

There are literally thousands of items from which to choose to have your logo or advertising placed and you can select items that are good matches for your type of business.

And you can also select items that you feel will be useful, appeal to your customers and at the same time get your advertising message across to them.

One consideration is - if it's an item they can use then they will likely hold onto it a much longer period of time and in that way your ad message will stay with them a greater length of time.

Wearable items are very popular with t-shirts and caps being the most popular. Other popular items include pens, calendars and cups. Small technology oriented items are now popular and include USB jump drives and CD/DVD cleaners.

Ordering advertising specialty items for your business is very easy and can be done via the Internet.

There are many providers around the world and how quick you can get your items depends from where you order and the total cost, including shipping, depends on the location of the provider and their proximity to you.

Most providers, no matter who and were, can provide good quality merchandise for you and your customers. Also the bigger the order the better price breaks you will usually get.

While some advertising specialty companies represent manufacturers, other make the items themselves. And certainly all have the ability to print your logo and advertisement in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes.

Choose a good provider, visit their website and perhaps call and talk to a customer service person. Explain the type item or items you are considering, give quantities and check their prices, shipping time and then make your decision what to order.

Many of their websites feature ordering sections and provide an online "catalog" of most of their specialties.

Payments are usually accepted by check (may take longer to clear the banks), money orders, PayPal and credit/debit cards.

If ordering from another country take into consideration the exchange rate but international delivery now makes it possible for your package to be delivered to your home for good business.

Suggestions for Working With Drywall Repair For All Contractors

With the paint, drywall can be a method that's really labor intensive, so the drywall repair contractors you employ should be experienced at their work, as any kind of imperfections will certainly begin to turn up as soon as all the job has been completed. That's why it's crucial that you take time when searching for drywall contractors near you, to find a person who can be relied on to do the work well.

You might not understand this, however mounting drywall is made up of 2 different work. Mounting the Sheetrock is the initial task, and also this entails shaping, cutting as well as setting the panels into location, rounding off by attaching them. Job number two is taping the joints as well as sealing them in addition to the screw heads, making use of drywall compound. The 2nd component of the job rotates around sanding as well as coating the surface areas up until the corners as well as wall surfaces are smooth, and also preferably, you are not able to tell where one sheet ends and the various other one starts. 

When you take into consideration all this, it must be clear that you require to take certain actions when hiring drywall repair contractors, to guarantee you work with the appropriate person for the job.

Just what is the Scope of the Project?

The initial point you should take into consideration before you begin seeking drywall repair contractors is to analyze the scope of the project. Any little drywall repair service jobs could normally be handled by DIY yet if you are looking at an extra considerable task that is composed of fixing one or more areas in your house, you should work with an expert drywall repair professional in your location. By doing this, you can be guaranteed that the job will certainly be managed swiftly and effectively.

Searching for as well as Hiring a Contractor

You could discover a drywall renovation contractor with a number of methods, including word-of-mouth, residence building shops, and also the web. Many of the moment, recommendations from credible celebrations are the most effective, as they can give you a concept of that is reliable as well as whether they are capable of getting the job done you intend them to do.

You could likewise see their website and consider consumer evaluations, though keep in mind that they will not be posting up adverse testimonials. Ask around Facebook or look at websites that have straightforward client testimonials.

Once you have discovered a few professionals that you think will certainly meet your needs, you could take the complying with actions to tighten down your selection.

1. Interview potential contractors

After you've done your on-line research, you have a concept of that the finest professionals are for your job. Any type of reliable specialist will find the time to chat regarding your job extensively, so you could figure out if they are ideal for the task.

Several of the topics that you can cover when you are interviewing them are the following:

— How long their firm has been in business

— Whether or not they are licensed as called for by the area or state. Make certain to consult the licensing workplace as well as the Better Business Bureau to ensure they have the proper license.

If they can supply evidence of insurance,

— How numerous individuals would be working with your job

— Tentative begin and completion dates

— References.

— The tools they will certainly be giving the job, and also whether they will provide clean-up.

You must maintain in mind that experts are not most likely to be angered by your inquiries, as they comprehend it's all component of the procedure. Doing a complete meeting will help you weed out the finest of the bunch. Any type of appropriate service provider will certainly be happy to show off their work and more than happy to place you in contact with their previous clients to receive referrals.

2. Make certain you have an excellent connection with your specialist.

It will be somebody you find easy to chat to when you locate the appropriate individual for the job. You and your professional should see eye to eye, so attempt to hire a contractor that has experience in the kind of work you're looking for as well as comprehends your goals.

You have to ensure you're able to deal with someone, so follow your gut sensation. If you get a great feeling regarding a specific specialist, it needs to consider into your choice, however it must not be the determining element.

Communication is vital for a successful task, and also making certain you as well as the service provider are on the appropriate wavelength will assist ensure a smooth process, and also you will really have the ability to inform them just what you want. You should firmly insist on normal get in touch with by message messages, phone, or email, The job staff could manage all the day-to-day job, yet an once a week update from the foreman is constantly a good idea.

3. Acknowledge that rate will certainly reflect high quality.

Speak with your service provider about their referrals for just how the job ought to be finished. Consider if it is worth cutting edges just to fix something temporarily, and also realize that the most affordable quote will certainly not constantly be the ideal one. Request a created summary of all the needed products for the work, as a tiny bid might be a sign that the professional is using low-quality materials. A lot of accurate propositions will certainly remain in the mid-price variety.

4. Ask for references.

We formerly covered this subject, however it's important that you request for recommendations from all possible contractors. As quickly as you get the referrals, contact them as well as obtain described info regarding the job they had actually done by the business, consisting of timeline, any delays, as well as any feasible problems that turned up during the job.

5. Avoid obtaining scammed.

You are well on your method and also could prevent being scammed by any type of dodgy professionals when you get recommendations and also do the appropriate study. Demand an authorized solution agreement listing all project details prior to relocating ahead with any drywall contractors.

6. Obtain a written quote.

Obtain a written quote from them as soon as you've narrowed down your feasible professionals. You should make certain to get it in writing, as if they are collaborating with a number of customers they might puzzle your bid with one more job, or they could have a short memory. It's fine to give a preliminary down payment to secure their solutions, but never pay for the total task up front.

Your estimate ought to have all the details, consisting of begin as well as end days, however realize that there may be some unanticipated organizing problems or hold-ups, so you must be flexible.

7. Request for a created contract for your drywall repair or restoration job.

The contract you get need to be outlined, and also it needs to include the following: the names of all involved events, a detailed description of the task, the license number of the professional, settlement plans, total expense, a detailed timeline as well as how extra costs will be dealt with.

Be attentive, if you do not get a routine for the completion of the work, this might be an indicator that the professional is presently doing various jobs, as well as could not be able to finish your job in the time stated. You have to monitor all the important details and all files associated with the job such as receipts, payments, and also contracts in a secure place. Secret call info for all employees in your project should likewise be tape-recorded.

8. See to it every little thing has actually been finished before you sign off.

When job has actually been finished, routine a final walk through with the supervisor, bearing in mind of anything that might not have actually been finished. You ought to request a final release or an affidavit, as this will certainly clear you of any type of obligation from a third-party claim once you've made the last payment.

The initial thing you require to consider before you begin looking for drywall repair contractors is to evaluate the range of the job. Any small drywall repair jobs could normally be dealt with by DIY, but if you are looking at a more considerable job that is composed of repairing one or more spaces in your home, you require to hire a professional drywall repair service professional in your area. After you've done your online study, you have an idea of that the ideal contractors are for your job. Any kind of trusted professional will find the time to talk about your task thoroughly, so you could figure out if they are best for the job.

Be mindful, if you do not obtain a routine for the conclusion of the work, this might be an indicator that the professional is currently doing various work, and could not be able to complete your project in the time stated. highly standard finished project.

Understanding the Mostly Importance of Quality in Manufacturing and Services

Why it should be foremost given the current political atmosphere.

It's something that's heard all the time now: "They don't make 'em like they used to" or "Another product made outside of the United States." Indeed, to some degree, there's a ring of truth to these sentiments; unfortunately, many areas of commerce - notably the aforementioned electronics sector - are being outsourced to countries such as China on a widespread basis, so much so that many consumers feel value has paid the ultimate price. Case in point: 

The home audio enthusiast market saw a resurgence of turntables over the past decade or so, driven by a millennial demographic just getting their feet wet in the "vinyl resurgence" pool, but in the mad scramble to compete and churn out these record players as fast as they were being purchased, many major companies outsourced their specs to Asia-based entities that ended up cutting corners to meet a price point.

As a result, more than a few series of turntables from this particular brand suffered from poor build, unreliable drive motors, design snafus such as warped platters and more - all of which compromise a vinyl playback system's performance in critical ways.

Of course, this is just a broad, random example, but our point is that quality in manufacturing and services, especially in our current somewhat heated political atmosphere, should be first and foremost - a sentiment that has not been lost on President Donald J. Trump, who has given US manufacturing representatives a different viewpoint to consider when it comes to consumer manufactured products.

In short, President Trump wants American manufacturing to step up to the plate, and it begins and ends with "the Q word."

Why should this be first and foremost when taken in a manufacturing context? It is easy to falter in an optimistic market and revel in manufacturing optimism; to be blunt, it is the only sustainable pillar that drives excellence in business. Value in a company that manufactures goods not only helps the economy meet customer and industry expectations, it can keep costs down. 

Managing excellence is crucial for small businesses in particular, because well-built products help to 

maintain customer satisfaction and loyalty while reducing the risk and cost of replacing faulty goods.

Let's take a quick look at the primary elements of this subject:

• Meeting Customer Expectations - Customers expect a company to deliver great products, and when it doesn't they quickly look for alternatives. Distinction is critical to satisfying customers and retaining their loyalty so they continue to buy in the future. 

• Managing a Reputation - Excellence influences a company's reputation, as poor build or a product failure (like the turntable example we mentioned earlier) can create negative publicity and damage a reputation. 

• Meeting Industry Standards - Accreditation to a recognized standard may be essential for dealing with certain customers or complying with legislation. 

• Managing Costs - Poor characteristics increases costs, as we alluded to, because without an effective control system in place a company may incur the cost of analyzing nonconforming goods or services to determine the root causes.

For manufacturing firms, it's important to ramp up process training, management commitment and involvement in all teams when improving purity control, and it wouldn't be a bad idea to take a look at suppliers, as well. Researching, studying and evaluating alone will improve this area - and parts - and top-shelf products equal sales for the long-term, all while eliminating consumer mistrust in manufacturing.

President Trump has set us on the right course... now we need to all do our part to improve US manufacturing.

In need of help because you don't know where to start? CALL ME!

Qualaco, Inc. is a Houston consulting company that focuses on providing clients in the in manufacturing and service with quality management systems. 

The experienced and knowledgeable professionals work closely with clients to help them achieve ISO 9001 certification, and many other standards, the company's primary mission in working with clients being to help businesses understand the value of aligning to an International Standard and the importance of Quality. The batter for business.

Recycling Business Waste Paper and Reduction Techniques

The State of Paper Recycling in the U.S.

Recycling has now become a necessity. And if for no other imperative than the betterment of your bottom line, recycling is a virtue as much as it is a canny business decision.

In truth, waste is a liability, and it's costly to generate. And among wastes that could recycled (yet are not), paper is one of the biggest offenders.

Paper products-comprising magazines, newspapers, catalogues, paper packaging, documents, briefs, and mail-account for the largest municipal waste stream. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), paper makes up to 27% of all municipal solid waste.

In terms of paper and paperboard products, the EPA also estimates that in 2011, only 62.5% of this waste stream was recovered for recycling. Not only is well over one third of paper not recycled, but paper manufacturing the U.S. is the fourth largest emitter of greenhouse gases. About 9% of all manufacturing CO2 emissions are a result of paper production.

Large commercial entities aren't the only companies contributing to these percentages, as schools, universities, government agencies, and many other institutions are complicit as well.

Small to medium-sized businesses are capable of throwing away paper in massive quantities every day as well. Even the strictly e-commerce-based companies of today still "black bin" piles of paper records and internal documents, most of which-if not all-are recyclable.

Our Choice: Green Trees or Greenhouse Gases

Certainly, recycling paper helps the environment in myriad ways; one ton of recycled paper can save seventeen trees, and the less we deforest our ecosystem, the less carbon dioxide will escape into the atmosphere.

Trees are a natural ally in the fight against climate change. By their absorption of CO2, they cut down on the greenhouse gas effect that has led to our rampant global warming problem.

Tips on Paper Reduction for Businesses

Buying recycled fiber paper instead of 100% virgin paper is one way of maintaining a green office. The manufacturing of paper with at least some recycled content puts much less of a strain on our environment than the production of virgin wood fibers.

Although recycled paper has been more expensive to purchase in the past, that is quickly changing as recycled paper becomes more popular and manufacturing processes become more streamlined. Small businesses that may not have the extra resources to switch to recycled paper, or businesses that may not use much paper can still benefit from paper reduction techniques.

Some of these no-cost reduction and recycling tips include:

· Make use double-sided printing wherever possible

· Print only the pages that you need (using the "print preview" function in your word editor or web browser

   will allow you to select only certain pages to print)

· Switch from single-person copies of memos or newsletters to one for each department or office

· Use digital scans instead of printing interoffice materials

· Unsubscribe to bulk junk mail

· Educate employees on paper reduction techniques and encourage your entire staff to re-use  paper

· Start a company-wide paper recycling program

Role Of Industrial Design

The industrial design is a specialized field of work that refers to the activity of achieving ornamental or formal appearance for mass-produced items or products. In simple words, industrial design is a creative and artistic profession, which involves the creation of a product design, its features, and branding. These products can be a toy, furniture, or even the packaging of a certain item.

Legally, industrial design also refers to a registration system, which protects the functional and unique ornamental characteristics of a product that results from the design activity. However, as easy as the process seems, it actually is not. In fact, industrial design involves numerous complications and problems that require constant attention in order to ensure the success of a product.

Therefore, when it comes to working for an upcoming project, it is imperative for you to cover the basics before you even think about accepting the task. Remember, only after you have mastered the basics it will be possible for you to create a successful product appreciated by consumers. The question is: what are these basics and how can you incorporate them? Well, read below and find out:

Goals

A designer has three roles: performing market research, conceptualizing the design of the product, and creating branding solutions. As you can see, all three of these roles are not exactly easy to perform. Therefore, the first basic element of industrial design is to familiarize yourself with the ultimate goals of the project assigned to you.

Now, you will find many goals that will require more effort and time from your end. However, this does not mean you forget to give importance to the hundreds of other goals that require attention in order to introduce a successful product into the marketplace. Therefore, when it comes to successful industrial design, make sure to understand all goals.

Research

Now that you have understood all goals of the project, it is imperative that you research the location and the specifics. Keep in mind that every successful item in the market has undergone significant research by an industrial designer. Similarly, you are required to do the same and have to carry out thorough market analysis and research.

Additionally, you must also familiarize yourself with the local codes and building regulations. This way, you will learn about all possible problems that you might face in the designing phase and can outline solutions to avoid them. You can also consider looking at similar projects to understand how they tackled numerous challenges presented during the design phase.

Cost

The design of any project can get incredibly costly. Now, why is that? As mentioned earlier, industrial designers have three main roles of which one is to conceptualize the design of the product. This process includes creating presentations that cover the product's usability, design, features, and functionality. Therefore, any errors in this phase can cause numerous troubles in the development phase, thus leaving no option than to repeat the whole process.

This repetition of the entire process will of course require additional resources and significant time and effort. Therefore, the third thing you must do is look at ways you can control the cost and perform the designing phase carefully. This way, you can keep your budget from going out of hand.

Specialists

The final thing industrial designers are required to do is critically look at all the aspects of the project and determine the number of specialists required to ensure project completion within time.

Corporate Video production Your Business's Success

Research study in 2013 showed that 93% of marketers use video to market advertise and communicate with target audience. Another study by eMarketer shows a 51% surge in sales conversion when video is included in an email marketing campaign. In addition, a Marketers Summary Report in 2014 projected that 74% of all Internettraffic will be video influenced by 2017.

Impressive Corporate Video Numbers

All these numbers highlight the integral role a corporate video production play in your business's success. Over 82% of Americans own a Smart phone, making videos even more critical for businesses. The question then becomes how to optimize them in explaining corporate ideas.

Tips on Pitching Business Ideas via Video

1. Write a Comprehensive Script

The planning stage in video production can make or break the objectives. You must plan clear messaging, who will be in the video, project problems, objectives, brand strengths or product features and the story that will be used in communicating all this. A rough sketch is all your production company needs to start production.

2. Hype Product or Brand strengths

It must have an objective, and if it is advertising, then make sure the benefits of your products or services are quickly introduced in the story. Contemporary viewers are choosy hence they need instant information through statistics, proof and evidence that what you are advertising really works.

3. Behind the Scenes Story

You can communicate business ideas by showing behind the scenes events in your business. This will demystify your business while also enhancing brand loyalty and trust. By opening up your business, you will have created familiarity, which in turn leads to more traffic on your page.

4. Email Marketing

If you have a message you want to pass across, fusing email and video is an ingenious technique of making sure your content is read. Your email should have a sketch of the information while the video link should promise more detailed information. Research shows that this technique guarantees over 200% click-through for your videos.

5. Social Media and Video Content

Whether you are launching a product or promoting it, Facebook is a good platform to make sure your business ideas are communicated. With content consumption on Facebook, Twitter and Whatsapp increasing tremendously, you are assured of increased sharing and click through for your videos if they are posted on social media.

6. Video Training

It can be primed for internal educational purposes within your organization. These videos are interactive and help explain intricate aspects of the business that your staff ought to understand.

Other ways in which you can optimize videos include product advertising, appreciation, entertainment, clarification, news and commentary and business demystification. Simply put, the opportunities are numerous.

For Online Banking Services

Financially stable is important for individuals. Of course, it is essential to have sufficient finances in case that you want to invest in items that can improve your lifestyle such as a house or a car. With this, more and more individuals save a part of their salary in banking institutions.

This is the most convenient way to secure your finances. However, going to banks can sometimes be very stressful. Fortunately, reputable banking institutions now provide an easier way to accomplish banking tasks with the help of online banking services. Listed below are some of the advantages of online banking.

Convenience

One of the best features of online banking is convenience. Rather than spending time going to banks, you can simply accomplish banking tasks right in your mobile phones or computers. The need to wait in lines when going to banking institutions is also eliminated. Not to mention, there is no need to spend money for fares or
gas to go to banks. Hence, you can manage your time easily and efficiently.

Availability

When it comes to availability, individuals can make use of the mobile phones and laptops. During the past, individuals need to go to banking institutions in order to check their savings. With the use of online banking services, you can easily check your bank accounts with just some clicks of a button.

Safer and more secured

One of the dangers when going to financing institutions is the threat of theft or simply of losing your money. As a result, online banking institutions have reliable security services that offer a safer banking experience. To accomplish banking tasks safely, it is best to opt for online banking.

However, there are is still a threat with online banking. Therefore, you need to make sure that you make use of personal gadgets and ensure that you don't share your password or log in details to anybody when doing bank transactions to be sure that your personal information is safe and secured.

Enjoy amazing features

Most of the time, online banking is used to view or check your account. Luckily, financing institutions have added features in their online services. As of today, individuals can also pay their bills online. They can also transfer funds to other bank accounts easily. And, individuals can set up recurring bill payments. As a result, individuals can accomplish banking tasks easily and efficiently. Other banking tasks like ordering cheques can also be made online to help you get checks immediately. Individuals are rest assured that their banking needs are properly accommodated, which can help make their lifestyle better and more stable. 

The Happiness Advantage and More Money

Believe that if we're successful then we'll be happy - and that success could be losing weight, securing a promotion, buying a house... In fact, as Shaun Achor proves, it's actually happiness which fuels success (think the sun moving around the Earth and not the other way around). When we're positive, we're more creative, more motivated and more resilient. We have more energy and we get on better in all areas of our life. 

This book is the result of Shaun's studies over 10 years at Harvard University, plus lots of his own research with the likes of KPMG and UPS. The Happiness Advantage can be yours he tells us, and can help you gain a competitive advantage...

A recent Guardian article reported that "people who are happier at work are more productive - they are more engaged, more creative, and have better concentration. The difference in productivity between happy and unhappy people at work can range between 10-50%. That's 10% for non-complex repetitive tasks, or up to 40-50% in service and creative industries." And that's an awful lot in terms of business revenue.

 Top Take-Away

Sounds simple, but our minds are *the* most powerful machine, and we have absolute control over how we see the world and which opportunities we choose to take. Best of all, it's also within our power to change our mindset and window on the world. Even something as simple as completing a gratitude list every day can make you happier, help you see the good in every day.

Pearls of Wisdom

There are seven principles so I'll focus on those:

People who are happy have a psychological advantage over people who are unhappy and Shaun proves this through studies over time. College Freshmen who were empirically shown to be happy had a higher income 19 years later than their unhappy classmates

The Fulcrum and the Lever talks about the power of the mindset, and comes from the ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes who said, "Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world." The fulcrum is the mindset of the person, and the length of the lever corresponds to the potential power and possibility that person believes he or she has. If someone moves the fulcrum in the right direction by adopting a more positive mindset, the lever of possibility lengthens, which leads, as empirical studies have shown conclusively, to an eventual positive outcome.

The Titres Effect focuses on a study done on students who were paid to just play Titres for days on end. Their minds started seeing the real world in Titres terms, trying to 'fit' buildings into each other. Shaun also talked about the negative power of things like GTA when he had to stop himself stealing a police car... This
principle shows how to retrain your brain to spot patterns of possibility rather than patterns of failure.

Falling Up looks not at avoiding mistakes, but doing even more than learning from them - throwing yourself into them. It's focused on how you can find the mental path out of failure

The Zorro Circle focuses on how, in the face of even overwhelming odds, you can fight off your emotions and regain control by beginning with small manageable goals. Shaun says that big goals can be too scary, and that you need to break them down into more manageable chunks sometimes

The 20-Second Rule looks at how to fight off the weakening willpower to be positive, and how you actually only need to maintain your focus for short bursts. What's easy to do is also easy not to do. Want to break a 'bad' habit? Make it difficult to access that habit - so, take the batteries out of the TV remote and leave them
over the other side of the room if you want to cut down on your viewing. Equally, if you want to start keeping a journal, don't put it away in a cupboard, even one near, leave it right next to your bed with a pen on top

Social Investment focuses on how to invest in friends, peers and family members to move forward in challenging times, and how we each have the potential to positively influence 100 people every time we choose to be happy Recommended?

Absolutely! The structure's a little loose and I had to revisit it to pick up the seven points, but the narrative is great, the examples are awesome and it's an easy, positive and inspiring read/ More money means you can do even more stuff to make you happy :-)

A former weapons engineer and submariner with the Royal Navy, his business journey started with a degree in International Disaster Engineering and Management.

He completed a Masters in Neuro Linguistic Programming currently finishing a series of interviews with some of the UK's most super, super-successful business owners to see just what mind-set and beliefs they all have in common.

Only Graduate

Many college graduates and reading many articles about career paths that college graduates are entering, one thing stands out above the rest.
 

I haven't heard one person say that the career they have chosen is something they feel passionate about. Instead, I hear them talk about an emerging industry or that the pay is good, or that the job market in those areas is good.

What many people don't realize is that the job market changes according to the economy. A career may be in high demand today but it may be like a sinking ship five or ten years from now.

Careers that look promising today, may not be valued five or ten years from now or they may be flooded with applicants as qualified, or more qualified, than you. But, even more significant, is the fact that with technology moving at warp speed, the very jobs that look so secure and promise fantastic wages, may be replaced by newer and more efficient methods, and your job may become obsolete.

Over the last several decades, people have had more opportunities to get into jobs they love and feel passionate about after graduation, but they don't seem to go that route. And, this alone, will probably explain
why, in later years, they will feel depressed, unappreciated and undervalued in their job.

These are the kinds of people who will work to pay the bills but count the years until they retire, at which time, they will still not love anything about their life.

I always tell my clients to find something they feel passionate about and I'll help them find a way to make money doing it. And what do I hear in return? "I don't know what I feel passionate about." If you don't know what you feel passionate about during your college years, when are you going to discover what gives meaning to your life?

This is more than just asking yourself what you'd like to be when you grow up. It's not necessarily gearing you up for choosing a career. It's about what animates you, excites you. It's about what makes your juices flow.

Find that passion and you will have a career that you love and that supports you in the toughest economy. If it takes a degree, go for it. If there isn't a field for it, make one. If there isn't a name for what you feel passionate about, give it a name. But, most of all, find it and make it your life's work.