Choosing a company to make your website sometimes seems like a shot in the dark. Everyone knows some history of someone who got frustrated when making a website and the reasons are the most varied. In general, there are some tips when hiring a company or a professional to make your website:

Visit customer sites of the company you intend to hire

You can’t hire a company without knowing what it has already done. Younger companies have smaller portfolios, but they do not have lower quality. But do not be impressed with graphics and animations. Pay attention, when analyzing the portfolio of a web designer, to sites similar to what you intend to do. A company’s portfolio can sometimes be independently investigated. The point is that we can use various online forums to find out as much as possible about a web design company. By interacting on web master forums, we can get “various neutral information” from fellow members. This method is highly recommended rather than getting information from sites affiliated with web design company sites we want to deal with.

Be realistic and objective

In fact, many problems can be avoided when you explain well what you want, and define in advance all the financial parts (values, deadlines and any more). Get access to all passwords and domain accounts, hosting, site control panel (if any), ftp login& its password and all the necessary information so you can have independence and freedom when hiring a professional to update or modify your site. The site is yours, and you have the right to choose. Many people feel reluctant to ask questions and this is precisely why they are crawling on incompatible SEO techniques.

Be careful

Avoid Flash and sites in tables, and remember: Google search results can’t be bought – they are solely the function of the content and structure of the site – do your homework and your site appears. Be wary of promises such as “I put your site on the first page of Google for some Euros.” Many irresponsible companies offer a million dreams to amateur site owners. They offer instant ways in return for a lot of money. This is the classic way of how digital fraudsters deceive people who don’t value a process. The process cannot be separated from success and sometimes, instant ways are made to get through it. Unfortunately, not all instant ways we really need. Some of them actually make our site trapped by Google or worse, we waste a lot of money on nothing.

Select local services

By choosing local services, you can get facilities that have been tailored to our specific needs. For example, if you work on a site with a target market for Portuguese people, it would be better if you deal with a web design Portugal company. SEO needs in each country are different, following prevailing market tastes. We can’t generalize SEO taste because it will only lead to futile efforts. By using local services, we can also save costs significantly.

The final tip: Open conversation and transparency on both sides. Speak, without shame, of prices and deadlines. Make more of your budget if you can. It is common to work on contracts, especially if the project takes longer. But in the case of a simple website with 5 or 6 pages and product catalog, you can have your website on the air in less than 2 weeks for a value of 3 digits, with quality. Hopefully this article can give you some inspirational constructs.

David “Selly” Selinger, CEO and Co-Founder at Deep Sentinel that is poised to disrupt the home security market joins Enterprise Radio.

Listen to interview with host Eric Dye & guest David “Selly” Selinger discuss the following:

1. What made you take the future of home security in your own hands?
2. What makes traditional security systems lackluster?
3. What makes Deep Sentinel poised to disrupt the home security market?
4. Can you describe how Deep Sentinel is the fastest security system ever created?
5. Can you delve into Deep Sentinel’s 24/7 human Surveillance Team?

David Selinger founded Deep Sentinel in 2016 when he saw the potential for AI to radically reinvent the legacy home security market.

A serial entrepreneur and artificial intelligence (AI) pioneer, Selly (as he is known to his friends and colleagues) started his career in R&D at Amazon, where he developed the first commercial product recommendation system. He subsequently co-founded Redfin, the next-generation real estate brokerage, and RichRelevance, the #1 provider of personalization for brands like Office Depot and Costco.

Recognized as a “40-under-40” innovator in the San Francisco region, he is active in social change, serving as a co-founder of Silicon Climate, and as an advisor to Opus 12, Gridcure, and the Rainforest Connection. Selly received his BS in Computer Science from Stanford University.

Website: www.deepsentinel.com

Social Media Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deepsentinel
Twitter: https://twitter.com/deep_sentinel

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Unlike other elements of the office that depends on technology, designing an office space is based on employee comfort levels as well as the value of employee engagement at work. Developing and designing your workplace offers more than an aesthetic appeal. It combines functionality, space, and flexibility, which allows employees to thrive in their roles. The days of office space cubicles are long gone, and more businesses are reaping the benefits of modern office designs. Improving your office design can significantly support and enhance your company in many ways, for instance:

A Positive Work Environment Encourages Risk-taking

Certain office designs such as exposure to natural light and greenery can refresh employees’ minds, keeping them motivated throughout the day. Employees also need enough space to move around as well as uplifting interior colors to stay inspired. This allows them to think outside the box, notice market gaps, and act upon those gaps by taking calculated risks. After all, business is all about taking the right risks.

Reducing Stress Increases Productivity

Employees who are stressed out are always distracted, which can have a detrimental effect on productivity. A well-designed office boosts productivity since it can help reduce stress and worry. For instance, office space with various working areas and downtime spaces allow employees to work, interact, and relax with one another. This reduces stress, all while increasing morale and productivity levels.

Happiness Inspires Creativity

Bland offices are a thing of the past. Modern businesses are now focusing on office equipment that can produce creative office designs. When shopping for such equipment use PromoCodeWatch as they’ve partnered with several retailers across the globe, and utilize modern web APIs to find unique deals that enable you to save more. A creative work environment keeps employees happy and inspired, which helps instill creativity. There are several ways you can foster creativity when designing an office workplace, for instance, add natural lighting, create specific zones, create a silent zone, and incorporate ergonomic solutions. Innovation is the moving force of any business.

People Like to Work With Happy People

Employees who find joy in their workplaces can improve work relationships. Happy employees are more willing to collaborate with others to achieve a common goal. Plus, they are more loyal and embrace teamwork, which is vital to the success of any business. Office design can influence employee happiness. Employees feel happy when they are more comfortable with the office designs such as light, temperature levels, acoustics, and social interaction spaces.

Happy Employees are Successful Employees

Creating good office designs provides employees with the right environment they need to work at their best. Plus, it’s an important step in ensuring employees love and enjoy their work. Employees who genuinely love their jobs are happier and more productive. This increases their self-confidence, which inspires greater performance to not only achieve organizational goals but personal goals as well.

Recent research has shown that online piracy of TV shows and films is set to continue. In coming years, the loss in the industry will reportedly be worth over $50 billion. Such huge amounts are enough to warrant proper investigation as to how blockchain can help curb piracy. Experts in the crypto world seem to have no solutions yet though.

The Challenge that Blockchain Faces in Fighting Piracy

It has been established by many reports that piracy is mostly a behavioral issue. The CREATe report particularly pointed out that people share content unlawfully for a myriad of reasons. Some of the reasons could be ignorance, norms and even financial issues. This is why blockchain cannot effectively address the problem of content piracy.

The report indicates that none of the reasons identified were conclusive and a blockchain project would not be sufficient to stop piracy. In order to eliminate piracy, a combination of legal measures and technology would be sufficient. Blockchain will nevertheless be part of the solution in a number of ways.

Blockchain as an Enabler for Content Surveilance

Going by the latest cryptocurrency news, there are a number of programs that are currently in development to enable content surveillance. Vevue is particularly working on smart contracts for content surveillance. Blockchain will be part of the technology that will enable the tracking of content from its creation to the point where it is delivered to the consumers. The creators of this program say that technologies like AI will also be part of the solution. Blockchain itself will not be solely responsible for surveillance, it will only be an enabler for authenticating smart contracts.

Blockchain as a Tool for Digital Trademarks

Another key initiative that is helping fight piracy is digital watermarking. CustosTech is a tech company that has ventured into this area immensely. The firm helps intellectual property owners to gain the full worth of their property. The technology being applied has been around for quite a while. Digital forensic watermarks make it difficult to duplicate and share content that has copyright protection. Not only does the watermark make it difficult to recreate the content, it can be used to track the origin of a pirated product.

When blockchain is used in this system, it becomes possible to give rewards for media consumers who find and report pirated content. The rewards are in the form of Bitcoin and they are authenticated with the unique serial number that exists in every file that has been copyrighted. In this case, the blockchain infrastructure acts as a strengthening mechanism for the digital watermark framework.

Using Blockchain to Give Incentives to Consumers and for Rights Management

Finally, it is possible to fight piracy by giving incentives to consumers – especially in the gaming industry. Already, incentives in the form of ads exist in the gaming world where piracy is discouraged by allowing users to consume in-game ads. Blockchain can help in this area and Rawg has been actively trying to integrate token rewards for gamers. These tokens can be redeemed in form of money or other things. 

A number of blockchain firms are also currently trying to bring universal rights management through a system that uniquely identifies files. Dot Blockchain Media has been leading in this area and their music files are already available in music stores.

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Kevin Mako, President & Founder, at Mako Design + Invent, a design and engineering firm that helps inventors bring their product ideas to life joins Enterprise Radio.

Kevin Mako is a visionary entrepreneur that built a multi-million dollar international company starting in his third year in business school with no financing, no outside investors, and completely grassroots. MAKO Design + Invent was named to the Inc 5000 list, the Entrepreneur 360 list, and the CreativePool design awards for their outstanding work in the innovation space.

Listen to host Eric Dye & guest Kevin Mako discuss the following:

1. Tell us about MAKO. What does Mako Design offer?
2. When you started MAKO, you were in third-year university. Tell us about how you’ve grown the company to a multi-million dollar company.
3. You’ve experienced tremendous growth with Mako. What’s been your best scaling strategy that’s contributed to the most growth?
4. What’s MAKO’s biggest success to date?
5. What advice would you give to a person or business looking to develop their product?

TIP: Do not procrastinate. The biggest killer in product development, and in business development, is procrastination. At Mako Design + Invent, we follow the GSD rule – Get Shit Done – and that’s what made us the biggest product development firm in North America for home inventors and startups. Because we GSD, so does the client, and with that, we help them get their product into store shelves.

Kevin Mako is the Founder and President of MAKO Design + Invent, a 25-person invention development firm with offices in Toronto, Austin, and the UK. His entrepreneurial spirit was ignited during his early teenage years when he started several ultra-small businesses that built a wealth of knowledge and experience for his eventual life passion, MAKO Design + Invent. While attending one of the top business schools in North America, the Richard Ivey School of Business, Kevin incorporated MAKO in his third year at just 22 years old. Graduating as Section Class President with an additional specialization in Entrepreneurship, Kevin continued his education at the University of Hong Kong studying manufacturing and supply chain management. 

MAKO Design + Invent was the first firm in North America to offer full-service professional physical consumer product development services to start-ups, and is now the largest firm in the industry in both Canada and Texas. The company provides home inventors and product developers with end-to-end consumer product development services that turn invention ideas into successful businesses. MAKO is tremendously proud to be completely grass roots and organically built with zero financing, debt, or investors. While most of Kevin’s time is spent growing the firm, Kevin also spends a great deal of time progressing the product development industry as a whole through guest speaking engagements, building robust strategic partnerships, and advancing the development of entrepreneurship through initiatives such as The Industrial Design Guild, Inventors Meetups, and the MAKO Student Innovation Awards at Ryerson. Kevin Mako has spoken at numerous events across the globe on entrepreneurship, startups, and product innovation. Most recently, Kevin Mako was a keynote speaker at the Dublin Tech Summit in Ireland, where he spoke alongside engineers from NASA, and directors from the USA’s White House. 

Sitting on the Board of Trustees for Lakefield College School, a Board Member of the Brookfield Institute for Entrepreneurship, an Advisor for Next Canada, and recipient of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award, Kevin has been recognized as a standup member of the industry for his community involvement and outreach. For his industry impact, outstanding leadership and rapid business development, MAKO Invent was named one of the best companies in 2016 by Entrepreneur Magazine and made the Inc5000 Fastest Growing Companies in America list. Kevin is also the Founder of the Generation Fund, a registered charity focused on funding university placements for top high school students in financial need. As a strong believer in developing entrepreneurial spirit, Kevin also personally finances and invests in small businesses and start-ups primarily in the professional services industries. He finds people who excel at a single skill, then through both financing and one-on-one mentoring, helps them develop their own businesses capitalizing on that talent. 

During his spare time, Kevin enjoys playing competitive squash and hockey year-round. During the summer months, Kevin spends his weekends exploring the outdoors. As someone with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, Kevin actively learns something new every few months which has included playing a variety of instruments, flying planes, and studying philosophy. 

Website: www.makodesign.com

Social Media Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent
Twitter: https://twitter.com/makoinvent

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As the old saying goes, brevity is the soul of wit.

This is true even if you’re not composing a laugh riot. Follow these seven best practices to compose a brief, punchy personal or company description that tells your audience everything it needs to know and nothing it doesn’t.

1. Hone Your “Power Sentence”

Your personal or company description only gets one chance to make a great first impression, and the “power sentence” is it.

If at all possible, limit your power sentence to 160 characters or less — not coincidentally, the rough length of your Twitter and Medium bios, and the visible length of your meta description in organic search engine results.

2. Go Easy on the Adverbs & Adjectives

Adverbs and adjectives generally work at cross-purposes to anything “brief” or “punchy.” Work in only as many as you need to tell your story; don’t get bogged down in superfluous modifiers that only make you seem self-important.

3. Tell Your Audience Why They Should Care Early

Beyond the “power sentence,” your personal or company description should convey as much actionable, relevant information as possible upfront.

Bear in mind that what you believe is important and what’s objectively useful for your audience isn’t always the same thing. There’s no place for modesty in short, punchy descriptions, regardless of your personal proclivities.

For instance, the third sentence of the Wikipedia entry for film producer David Mimran’s father reads, “[t]he Swiss business magazine BILANZ has listed Mimran as one of the 300 richest people in Switzerland, with a wealth of CHF 2 billion.” No one will accuse the writer of that sentence of modesty, but that doesn’t change the salience of Mimran’s wealth (and the helpfulness of the context).

4. Practice in Front of the Mirror

We’ve focused on written descriptions thus far, but remember that you’ll be verbalizing a version of your personal or company description ad nauseam at networking events, trade shows, sales presentations, job interviews, you name it. Practicing your pitch in front of the mirror is a great way to figure out what works and what doesn’t.

5. Check the Five W’s

Before you close the books on your personal or company description, check the five W’s: who, what, why, where, and when. It’s distressingly easy to forget a “W” or two when you’re describing something you live and breathe. Those learning about you and your company for the first time are by definition unaware of these details.

6. Work in a Value Statement, But Don’t Let It Dominate

One of the exceptions to the minimal adverb/adjective rules involves value statements: that is, the portion(s) of your description focusing on your personal and professional beliefs, mission, guiding light. Your value statement adds a crucial human element to your story — a potential difference-maker in a competitive marketplace.

7. Keep It Professional

In particular, make sure it’s free of grammatical or spelling errors. Check it for flow — have someone read it back to you, if that helps. And excise any content that can be considered remotely controversial, unless it’s inseparable from your work.

Punch Up Your Personal & Professional Brand

Follow these seven best practices and you’ll be well on your way to punching up your personal and/or professional brand. But don’t call it good until you’ve tackled one last challenge: infusing your personal or company description with at least one healthy dash of humor, levity, or whatever passes for personality in your neck of the woods. Your audience won’t miss it — and they might just reward you for the effort. As they say, brevity…

Mynul Kahn, the Founder and CEO of Field Nation, which connects businesses with service providers to get work done joins Enterprise Radio to discuss his facing tough decisions during his entrepreneurial journey.

Listen to interview with host Eric Dye & guest Mynul Kahn discuss the following:

1. What is Field Nation? How does it work?
2. How did you come up with the idea?
3. What tough decisions did you face along your path to success?
4. What was the biggest factor in your success?
5. What tip would you give entrepreneurs for growing their business?

Upon graduating from Minnesota’s St.Cloud State University, Mynul Kahn worked at a startup during the day while spending his nights and weekends building his first company, Technician Marketplace, Inc. During that time, he developed a software solution for Fujitsu to help the company manage its freelance workforce of field technicians.

Mynul expanded on that idea to create a platform that served an entire industry, rather than solving a specific problem for a specific company. That platform became Field Nation, which he launched during the Great Recession of 2008 to take advantage of the growing appeal of the freelance lifestyle and companies’ need for more flexible workforces. Since then, Field Nation has grown into the leading field service marketplace.

Website: www.fieldnation.com

Social Media Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fieldnation
Twitter: https://twitter.com/fieldnation

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Raya Khashab, Co-Founder and CEO of ezClocker a time tracking and scheduling software for small businesses joins Enterprise Radio to talk about how to transition from a “Wantrepreneur” to an “Entrepreneur”.

Listen to interview with host Eric Dye & guest Raya Khashab discuss the following:

1. What is ezClocker? And how did you come up with the idea?
2. What prevents people from pursuing their dreams and becoming an entrepreneur?
3. What advice would you give people who are thinking of making the jump into entrepreneurship
4. What’s the hardest thing you encountered when you became an entrepreneur?
5. Knowing what you know today what would you have done differently?
6. Any books you recommend?

Raya Khashab is the CEO and co-founder of ezClocker a time tracking and scheduling software for small businesses. Raya is passionate about customers and building products that change the way people run their business. She is also a big supporter of the startup community and helping people achieve their dreams.

Website: www.ezclocker.com

Social Media Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ezClocker
Twiiter: https://twitter.com/ezClocker

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Cryptocurrency is no longer some new and unknown niche technology used by only a few. The use of cryptocurrency has shifted from the traditional tech-savvy user base to gain the acceptance of everyone. The last few years have demonstrated just how much potential cryptocurrency has in the digital finance world. All indicators have shown that digital currencies might just be the tech of the future. There are indeed many ways in which cryptocurrency can make the world a better place.

The following are the 5 most important ones.

Strengthen E-commerce

The world has witnessed major growth in the e-commerce sector. The ease of transacting and shopping online has allowed customers and sellers to connect and trade. This has not only increased convenience for all those involved in the business but it has also increased the security of transactions. With cryptocurrency, the possibilities will be even much bigger. Global trade will be facilitated and the access to quality services will be the norm.

Increase the Overall Security of Online Business

Online business is today characterized by a lot of fraud. The world is yet to fully solve the challenges that come as a result of technology. Cryptocurrency depends on a strong set of standards that make it a robust system. The chances of fraudulent activity are reduced to great amounts when using cryptocurrency especially when it is compared to other modes of payments. Funds are not centrally located nor is the ledger controlled by a single institution. With increased confidence in online transactions, business will grow to unprecedented levels.

Give People Choice and Control

One of the key challenges that people face is lack of control for their funds. Banks and other financial institutions give certain preconditions that make it difficult for people to use their money in ways that they would like to. With cryptocurrency, you can choose the best cryptocurrency to invest in as there are many alternatives. You can also choose how you want to save your money as well as how to use it in times of crisis. Such freedom is ultimately what people desire to move forward in the most difficult times.

Increase the Ability to Collaborate

Money is crucial and central to collaboration. Global cooperation has increased a lot in recent years especially since financial platforms have been crucial in offering support. It is nowadays possible to hire, buy or sell talent in the global marketplace due to these advancements. With cryptocurrency, the prospects are even bigger. Efforts like crowdfunding have been proven to be highly successful because of cryptocurrency. The success of ICOs has proven that raising funds with cryptocurrency is a less risky and worthwhile affair. Cryptocurrency, therefore, holds a great key for future collaboration whether in business or personal levels.

Encourage Scientific Advancement

Finally, cryptocurrency will be at the center of future innovation. The future world depends on a progressive, secure and efficient financial system. History has shown that lack of transparency has slowed down scientific advancement in the past. Even though the last century has seen great progress in the science realm, future discoveries will depend on the openness of financial platforms. Blockchain and cryptocurrency are thus part of a new open system that has fewer roadblocks and more possibilities for science.

Jeremy Forsberg, CMO & VP at AXEL, a Las Vegas based tech company that provides a platform for users to link all of their digital files across all of their devices – without using a third party joins Enterprise Radio.

Listen to host Eric Dye & guest Jeremy Forsberg discuss the following:

1. Please share some background about AXEL and the company’s mission.
2. What problems does AXEL solve today, and why?
3. How does AXEL’s services impact entrepreneurs and small business owners? What is significant about this?
4. Many people still don’t understand blockchain and cryptocurrency.
5. Can you describe what the AXEL blockchain solution is, and how does it work?
6. Do you think that blockchain is here to stay? If so, why?

Jeremy Forsberg is the CMO & VP of AXEL. Jeremy is responsible for AXEL’s strategic marketing and content initiatives, as well as spearheading the company’s blockchain project development.

Formerly, he was a co-founder and CEO of the NAVADA Group – a creative agency that worked with some of Europe’s most powerful and recognizable brands. He boosted audience engagement for a leading horse racing brand by over 2,000%, turning it into the top racing brand in the UK.

Jeremy is best known for leading the award-winning Road Respect campaign, wielding viral content to slash drunk driving incidents. Jeremy is a regular guest on BBC Radio and holds a postgraduate degree from Newcastle University. He also earned a CPE in Law from the University of Northumbria.

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With the influx of automation, internet, and wanting to give the best customer service, increased productivity is naturally expected in companies and the workplace in general. Productivity refers to how much the organization’s workers perform in their output, and it is considered the life source of any business. By this definition, most people would think productivity means putting in a lot of hours. It’s not always the case.

Sometimes, all you need to do is work smart to get the best of out of the time of your set schedule. Efficiency is a key ingredient in increasing productivity, and fortunately, there are ways to improve it. If you’re looking for ways to improve productivity in the workplace, then read below.

Track Your Time

It sounds like a lot of pressure, but knowing how much time you’re working on certain tasks and breaks will help you understand your work habits better. A suggestion on keeping on track is to make a to-do list for work on the day to keep yourself accountable. However, make sure to make the items on your to-do list are realistic and you allow time for breaks in between.

Time-management apps are becoming increasingly popular in the last several years. In fact, there are already thousands of similar apps out in the market.

What you need to realize is that you or your workers themselves have the solutions to their own productivity. A good suggestion for getting work moving on open-ended tasks is to set a personal deadline along with some goals.

Make the Most Out of Your Commute

Unless you work from home, most people actually commute to work, and those who do this regularly know that there is a lot of downtime during the travel. Instead of using a smartphone or tablet to play minigames, use it instead to brainstorm the tasks you are supposed to do in order to make it in time for the deadline. 

You can also use this time to make your to-do list too. Either you can write it in your phone, laptop, by hand on a piece of paper, or use a portable smart typewriter to make your list more legible. The great thing about a dedicated gadget for writing is that it’s less distracting than opening other mobile tools.

Breaks Are Important

Taking multiple breaks during the workday actually helps improve productivity. In fact, it is backed by research, saying that workers are able to maintain their focus and performance when they take breaks, versus working straight for hours and hours. 

Besides, sitting for a long time is also unhealthy, so apart from a mental rest, breaks encourage workers to stand up and walk around. You can try alternating sitting and standing up while working if it’s possible to encourage more movement.

Make sure to walk around as well. Take the opportunity to move your legs and hydrate at the same time by frequently getting up for a glass of water or two.

Naps Work

A little snooze can actually help increase your energy. In fact, it has been explained scientifically that a nap can help clear the brain of adenosine, a compound that encourages sleep. If possible, nap between 20 and 30 minutes.

If you want to make the nap more effective, drink a cup of coffee before dozing off because the caffeine takes about 20 minutes to affect the body. You’ll wake up more energized and more focused, enabling you to accomplish tasks easily.

If there is simply no time to nap, give yourself a little break by moving about. Drowsiness and sleepiness can be challenging especially after taking your midday meal. If you have colleagues you can talk to and they are free, engage in friendly office chatter to take your mind off post lunch lethargy.

Get Enough Sleep

When you are tired and you go to work that way, there is little to no chance that you will be able to accomplish tasks or be half as productive as when you are well-rested. Chronic sleep deprivation resulting from stress and overtime at work can lead to many health problems, and there is no better cure than getting a good night’s sleep daily. It has been studied that sleep helps repair the brain, which affects the short-term and long-term memory.

Of course, it also depends based on your personal sleeping needs. There are people who are able to function on less than the prescribed eight hours a day. Try listening to your body to gauge the amount of rest you need to be able to function well the next day.

Remote Working

Companies should get on the trend of encouraging workers to work remotely or from home. This, in conjunction with flexible hours, allows people to be more focused on tasks ahead. There are some people who thrive on working from home because they are motivated to work because they don’t have to put in energy to prepare for the long day at work. Understandably, remote working is not for everyone because socializing with others may be a part of their day.

Offer Incentives and Perks

Big companies are known to reward and motivate their workers with perks and incentives, and there’s a reason everyone should be on board—they work. Extras like gym memberships, free movie tickets, and discounts can make workers feel appreciated, which can increase their morale at work. Furthermore, not all people are motivated by increased salary over more responsibilities at work, so perks are a great option.

Bottom Line

There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to workers and productivity. The most important thing to remember is to provide honest, open communication and a safe space for employees to air out their thoughts and complaints. When workers are happy, it shows in their performance.

What strategies do you know about improving productivity at work? List them in the comments below.

Pete Williams is an entrepreneur, business advisor and marketer who Forbes recently called, “one entrepreneur today that every marketer should be modelling.”  He is the author of Cadence: A Tale of Fast Business Growth and joins Enterprise Radio to share some of his knowledge.

This episode of Enterprise Radio is working in conjunction with the Author Channel.

Listen to host Eric Dye & guest Pete Williams discuss the following:

1. Why it’s critical for businesses to identify the difference between leads, suspects, and prospects?
2. What is 10% Wins?
3. Can you explain the 7 Levers outlined in the book?
4. Retail is having a tough time – how does Cadence help retailers of any kind?
5. How does Cadence apply to any size business, big or small?

Pete Williams is an entrepreneur, business advisor and marketer who Forbes recently called, “one entrepreneur today that every marketer should be modelling,” while Inc. describes him as, “a savvy marketing strategist.”

A Southern Region Finalist in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Program, a Small Business ICON (Best-in-Class) Recipient, and an Australian Business Award Winner for Marketing Excellence, he is the co-founder of numerous businesses across varying industries — from telecommunications services to e-commerce.

Having been referred to as “Australia’s Richard Branson” in media publications, Pete first made a name for himself when, at the age of twenty-one, he sold Australia’s version of Yankee Stadium, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, for under $500.

Pete is also a Professor of Practice at Deakin University, Australia.

Website: www.CadenceBook.com

Social Media Links:
Twitter: @preneur
Facebook: www.facebook.com/preneurmarketing

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Your employees are your company’s most valuable asset. If you fail to develop your staff, they will eventually seek other opportunities that offer them career growth. Many businesses that suffer high turnover should examine their employee training and development programs. 

Developing your employees saves your company time and money while improving your business directives. Here are 4-reasons why you need an employee development program.

1.    Attract the Best Talent

The process of hiring and retaining employees is a challenge for most business owners. A comprehensive employee development program makes these tasks less of a burden and ensures that you’re hiring the best people.

Employee development is a benefit, and it’s something that the majority of businesses fail at implementing correctly. A development and training program attracts a higher caliber of employee, someone that’s concerned about expanding their knowledge and skill set with new opportunities.

Implementing a development program for your business sets you apart from other employers offering a similar incentive package but no training or development. Employees that feel they have room to grow in a company are willing to remain loyal, even if other company’s or your competitors offer them a position.

The most successful company’s and brands all provide exceptional development programs as part of their employee benefits. Companies like Google, Facebook, Apple, and Amazon understand this and employee development is a critical concern for their human resources department.

Model the world leaders in your industry and implement a development strategy that drives the best talent to your doorstep. 

2. Empower Your Employees

One of the most significant challenges business owners face is hiring executives for management positions. Hiring a new manager requires training them in the culture of your company. 

The prospective manager may be set in their management style, preventing them from adjusting to your company values.

Your employees understand your market and your clients better than any prospective manager you’re thinking about hiring. Implementing a management training program into your employee development enables you to hire from within your team. 

This strategy improves employee incentive, boosting the ambition of your team members while creating healthy competition among your staff.

An excellent employee management development program creates opportunities for promotion from a pool of capable team members that already understand your company culture. They have a better understanding of their colleagues than an outside hire, and this means that they know the strengths and weaknesses of your team as well.

3. Maximize Productivity and Increase Employee Engagement

Do your employees feel bored? Employees that are not challenged by their work environment eventually become inefficient with their job and look for other avenues to pursue their career. Implementing an employee development program increases their productivity and engagement with the team and clients by providing an incentive to get the job done.

Many employees that feel restless in their positions don’t understand something about their job or their relevance to the company. A training program provides clear guidance on how employees can develop their position within the business. The net effect of development programs improves workplace efficiency and inspires employee commitment.

4. Reduce Staff Turnover and Save on Staffing Costs

View the cost of your employee development as an investment, not an expense. Training and developing your employees will save you thousands in the long-term by reducing staff turnover. Every business owner has a super-star on their team, what if you could grow all your employees to perform at the same level? How would it affect the prosperity of your business?

The Final Word on Employee Development

The development strategy implemented this year may not have the same effect as the previous year’s training. Business culture shifts and market sentiment changes. Therefore, you need to adjust your program to suit current trends in the market and the workplace.

Consider hiring a professional that will assist you in creating and implementing a sound training and development program that increases employee retention while improving the efficiency of your business.

Stefan Schulz, COO of Orpical Group, an online marketing and business consulting firm that specializes in web development via specialized service offerings joins Enterprise Radio.

Listen to interview with host Eric Dye & guest Stefan Schulz discuss the following:

1. What is GOGET SECURE?
2. How did you come up with GOGET SECURE?
3. What is HTTP and HTTPS?
4. What is an SSL Certificate?
5. How do I know if my website is “SECURE”?
6. What is the conversion process like?
7. What will happen if business owners don’t make the switch?
8. How does Google come into play?
9. What are some common pitfalls of switching to HTTPS?
10. Does HTTPS prevent websites from malicious attacks?

Stefan Schulz is an entrepreneur, brand enthusiast, and online marketing expert with 10+ years of diverse experience as a marketing consultant.

Stefan serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Orpical Group, a full-service marketing agency with locations in New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His work has helped earn Orpical Group accolades including The Philadelphia Business Journal’s Top Branding Marketing and Media Services Companies, as well as Top Tech Employers List.

Stefan is also the founder of GOGET SECURE, the only specialized, branded SSL Installation service in the world. GOGET SECURE helps businesses convert their website from HTTP to HTTPS to protect user data, improve SEO, and increase conversions.

Websites: gogetsecure.com | orpical.com

Social Media Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Orpical
Twitter: https://twitter.com/orpicalgroup

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Samantha Chambers-Skeggs, Founder of Ditch The Ladder, a business that helps corporate escapees transition from the corporate world to setting up their own business again joins Enterprise Radio.

Listen to host Eric Dye & guest Samantha Chambers-Skeggs discuss the following:

1. What is the impact of the Future of Work on me, my role, and my career?
2. How can I prepare, and what should I be doing now to get ready, for a changing workforce and business environment in the future?
3. What are some ways to help manage change and navigate the transition to new ways of working?
4. What are the risks of not paying attention to the effect of the Future of Work?

TIP: Change is happening at an accelerating pace and you need to adapt to an increasing amount of uncertainty. The best way to manage uncertainty is to create certainty in the aspects of your life in which you have control. You control your career and the way you work so make changes today that will bring benefit in the future. Whether that’s freelancing, setting up a business or developing a portfolio career, the choice is yours. In the words of Jack Welch, “Change before you have to”.

Samantha Chambers-Skeggs is a business & career change consultant, writer, and speaker. Samantha spent 20 years working for some of the world’s biggest brands including PricewaterhouseCoopers, Qantas and NBN Co. before ditching the corporate ladder and embarking on her own journey.

Samantha is passionate about helping those trapped in corporate careers jump off the corporate ladder and create their own path to success and happiness through running their own business. Samantha also helps business leaders engage their people when embarking on business change programs through change management, training and engagement activities.

Samantha is the author of “Ditch The Ladder – Escape The Corporate Trap”, and also contributes content to the Australian Rugby Business Network monthly newsletter, and has had articles published in the Business Chicks Latte magazine, The Australian Business Executive magazine, Women’s Network Australia magazine, and on the HerBusiness website.

Samantha is a member of the International Coach Federation, Professional Speakers Australia, and an accredited human behaviour assessor (Business DNA Behavior). Samantha holds a Commerce degree, is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and is Lean Six Sigma Black Belt accredited.

Samantha will enable you to rethink the way you view your place in your current career and unlock your mind to a new way of life.

Websites: www.samanthachambers.com | www.ditchtheladder.com

Social Media Links:
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chamberssamantha
Twitter: @iamsamchambers
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ditchtheladder

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If you knew what a customer was thinking when they visited your website or after they made a purchase, would your business improve? Of course! Customer feedback is key to any business. Using online surveys can help you collect the customer data you need.

What Types of Questions to Ask

Always include a Net Promoter Score question at the beginning of your survey. The Net Promoter Score question was developed by Fred Reichheld and Bain & Company in 2003, and helps determine brand loyalty with one simple number. 

The higher the score, the more likely your customers are to recommend your brand by word of mouth. A lower score can indicate your brand needs improvement, and when combined with other survey questions, such as standard multiple choice or open text input, you can hone in on how to improve your brand image. 

Choosing the Right Survey Tool

You want to choose a survey maker with enough tools to get the job done. Look for features like variety of question types to get granular data (advanced question types such as Net Promoter Score and Max Diff help), multiple ways to distribute your survey, and of course, enough reporting tools to dive into your results. 

Distributing Your Survey

How you distribute your survey will depend on what data you want to collect. For example maybe you want to collect feedback about your website layout, products offered, or ease of use. In this case you could use an embedded survey, or a pop up survey. Most survey tools offer this option, and only take pasting one line of code into your website to setup. 

If you want to collect data for customers who recently made a purchase you could send email invitations to your survey. Most platforms give you the ability to email a list on contacts directly from their software, or can even assist in including a custom link inside your own email tool. 

QR codes offer yet another way to collect responses. You can include a QR code on purchase receipt or on a printed ad to capture customer feedback with little effort. 

Analyzing Results

Looking at a typical survey report, you’ll see the answers to each question. You might see people are happy or unhappy with a product or service. But this doesn’t tell the whole story. To really get actionable insights with your data, you need to take it a step further. 

Cross tabulation analysis will enable you to spot hidden trends in your results. For example if you asked a Net Promoter Score question, and a question asking for the customers age range, you can then cross tabulate both. You might find a younger demographic or an older demographic prefers your product more. 

This type of feedback is the key in making useful decisions. With this knowledge in the above example, your marketing team could now focus on a certain age range, and not waste time or money elsewhere. Of course there are millions of other demographics you can ask, and then cross tabulate for even more insights! 

Tips on Creating Your Survey 

The most important factor a successful survey is offering an incentive to customers. Offer a 5% discount on their next order. Most survey platforms allow you to redirect them to your own website upon survey completion, which could generate a coupon code. Doing this not only encourages feedback, but helps to promote a second purchase. 

You also want to keep your survey brief. No one wants to be asked tons of questions! Generally 5 – 10 questions is enough to capture all the data you need. 

The Long Term Plan

Now that you understand how to use surveys for your business, you can develop a long term plan on how to use data to improve. Establish benchmarks, come up with creative questions to ask in future surveys, and embrace a philosophy that allows customer feedback to flow freely! 

Madhu Konety, Founder & CEO of IceCream Labs the only AI powered platform which provides on-demand Intelligent Merchandising solutions for e-commerce retailers, brands and marketplace sellers joins eCommerce Radio.

Listen to host Eric Dye & guest Madhu Konety discuss the following:

1. Can you provide our listeners with a brief overview of IceCream Labs, when the company was founded and where you are based?
2. IceCream Labs recently announced CatalogIQ. Can you describe CatalogIQ and the AI-based capabilities that the platform provides?
3. What type of retailers will use this platform?
4. What is the competitive advantage or retailers that deploy CatalogIQ?
5. Is AI becoming a standard in the retail market? If so, how are you challenging or disrupting the current ecosystem?

Madhu Konety is Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at IceCream Labs. Konety has more than 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur, investor and technology professional working with startups and large software companies.

Prior to co-founding IceCream Labs, Konety founded enterprise software company, Musambi, which was ultimately acquired by the founders of NetIQ. In his career, Konety has served in executive investor roles at Big Ear Capital, Deccan Ventures, Pine Wood, Esperto Capital, and Cycladic Capital. Konety also previously served as Product Manager at BMC Software and in software engineering roles at Verifone Corp. and NetQuest.

Konety holds a Master’s degree in Business from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, an M.S. in Computer Science from Virginia Tech, and B.E. degrees in Information Technology from B.M.S College of Engineering and Bangalore University.

Website: www.icecreamlabs.com

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Bushra Azhar, Founder of The Persuasion Revolution, an online training and advisory company that teaches businesses how to make money using the psychology of persuasion joins Enterprise Radio.

Listen to interview with host Eric Dye & guest Bushra Azhar discuss the following:

1. What are Eight psychological switches that can help your business?
2. How do we ask our boss for a pay raise using one of the eight persuasion switches?
3. How can we influence experts, authorities and relevant leaders in your field – which will ultimately send more opportunities your way?
4. How do we outmaneuver your competition and get more customers thus increasing your sales?
5. How is the Mass Persuasion Method different from other books on persuasion and selling?

Bushra Azhar has been an accountant, banker and business management consultant. She’s a persuasion strategist, who in 2014 founded The Persuasion Revolution, an online training and advisory company that teaches businesses how to make money using the psychology of persuasion.

Within three years the company earned $2 million in sales—all through the power of persuasion! One of Azhar’s most successful course “Mass Persuasion Method” became the title of her first book. Mass Persuasion Method is a #1 international best-selling book in four business categories.

Azhar currently lives in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Website: www.thepersuasionrevolution.com

Social Media Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/persuasionrevolution
Twitter: @bushraazhar

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Are you considering a career in radiography? It’s a fascinating, dynamic field in which new technologies are constantly being discovered and implemented, and is fantastically rewarding. That said, it’s a huge commitment right from the start, so before you take the plunge there are a few things that you need to take into consideration. 

Full-Time Commitment 

Going into the study of radiography is necessarily a full-time commitment; if you are not able to meet the demands of a full-time study course then you might be better off choosing something else. This is an important point and shouldn’t be taken lightly – having too much work and too many outside commitments can quickly take its toll. Really think carefully about your time management before you take the plunge. A time budget is a great way to lay out how much time you have on paper and take stock. 

Costs 

As well as the costs of the course, you need to consider other demands on your cash budget – books, transport, clinical uniforms, and other supplies all cost money. There are ways to get help with this – try contacting the financial aid office of the University, or you can also apply for a scholarship. Whether or not either of these options is a possibility, it never hurts to save yourself some cash! Check out our blog post on how to live on a shoestring budget. 

Employment 

Remember the full-time commitment of studying radiography that we mentioned above? Well, working in radiography is also a full-time commitment – health care is a twenty-four hour profession. The Maxxima Group are committed to providing high-quality staffing solutions to the health care profession, and they have positions open for radiographer jobs in the UK and overseas. However you find employment when you graduate, bear in mind that new recruits usually get the evening, weekend, and holiday shifts so only consider this field if you’re prepared to give up a lot of your spare time, especially at the start of your career. 

Lifelong Learning 

The field of radiography is dynamic and always changing as new technologies develop and are brought into common use, so graduation does not mean you’re done! You will always be learning something new about radiography – in fact, in order to renew your credentials, it’s mandatory to continue your education indefinitely. This isn’t always a bad thing, as many people find that it’s what makes the profession so interesting. 

Program Challenges 

Radiography isn’t a difficult field to learn, but there is a considerable volume of information to take in. If radiography is a field about which you are passionate, and if you can make the time and financial commitment to it, there is no reason why you shouldn’t succeed. As with any other field, study is crucial and learning to do it effectively will be your key to success. There are a lot of helpful guides online that can help you learn to study more effectively, so make sure you make use of them.

Jaaz Jones and Genia Jones-Hale, Co-Founders of MaD Miracles, LLC which helps individuals and organizations reach their goals through self-development, effective communication, critical thinking, emotional intelligence strategies and energy management joins Enterprise Radio.

Listen to host Eric Dye & guests Jaaz Jones and Genia Jones-Hale discuss the following:

1. How would you define transformation as it pertains to business owners?
2. What do you feel the power of energy is for entrepreneurs?
3. You feel it’s important for business owners in particular to create clear intentions in their business. What is that process about and what will that help them do?
4. You’re a big believer in the power of focused attention in business. Why is that?
5. You have an event coming up Labor Day Weekend in Atlanta called The MaD Metamorphosis Summit where you say women can immerse, connect, discover and “emerge MaDnificent.” What do you expect women in business to get out of this event?

Jaaz Jones, President | MaD Miracles, LLC

Jaaz is committed to helping individuals and organizations to transform their pains, problems and fears into a platform of powerful possibilities. With her unique training she has the ability to guide a team through enlightened transformations and bring organizations into their power by helping them master focused attention. Using the tools and techniques in her signature Miracle Minded Transformation Training, Jaaz helps women enrich their relationships and elevate their joy quotient through workshops, retreats, boot camps, and seminars.

As a Curriculum Developer, Transformational Trainer, Reiki Master and Energy Empowerment Coach, Jaaz has successfully served a broad and diverse demographic. Excelling in the areas of transformation, personal growth and professional development, from high ranking corporate execs, to at risk youth; standing at the crossroad of reinvention. Her remarkable achievements span over 20 years, with such notable companies and organizations as, Penseke Automotive Group, Valero Energy, Continental Airlines, University of Texas at Austin, Huston-Tillotson University, Georgia State University, Girl Scouts of America, Planned Parenthood, eWomen, Hillside Chapel and International Truth Center and a host of other transformational students.

CHI*Up with Jaaz is her new energy revving and releasing program designed to help individuals remove the blocks to their energy flow, increase vitality, move more dynamically and live more intentional fulfilling lives. CHI*Up programs include M.E. Management Workshops and M.E. Unleashed Intensive – a living W.E.L.L. system of coaching, workshops and revitalization retreats.

Genia Jones-Hale, Vice President of Education | MaD Miracles, LLC

Genia holds a master’s in education with an emphasis on creating a holistic environment and has successfully created diverse learning atmospheres that increase retention, build interactive communities and enhances the overall lifestyle of participants. With over 10 years’ experience in curriculum development and teaching, Genia is dedicated to serving the needs of all students, from early childhood through adult continuing education, based on their learning styles. Her passion for teens and research lead her to focus on how creating a blend of different instructional strategies can affect critical thinking skills amongst teens in a life skills course within the Miracle Minded Metamorphosis training with MaD Miracles. Genia has merged critical thinking activities into the curriculum to emphasize how these approaches can assist teen girls with problem solving.

Genia’s instructional design work has received stellar reviews from both the corporate and educational community, creating innovative modules that are engaging, easy to follow and power-packed for high achievement in performance. Genia has provided instructional design for Dell Computers, Total Safety and Penske Automotive Group.

Website: www.madmiracles.com

Social Media Links:
Facebook: facebook.com/madmiraclesfanpage
Twitter: twitter.com/MaDmiracles

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