Articles, Reviews & Product Reports at enort.com

A desktop organizer offers a stylish, functional piece to tidy and de-clutter a much-used workspace.

Store all office supplies in a organized manner – a well-crafted paper organizer, in plastic, steel mesh, wood or leather, is available in a wide variety of sizes and shapes to offer space for files or documents in multiple configurations in file holders, slide-out drawers, stacking sorters, and small accessory pockets.

An office desk organizer starts with the compact-sized caddies or slot holders to a full-sized all-in-one solution to store all vital supplies, which often appear on a desk. Some of the common types of desktop organizers include –

An open wire rack, with up to 12 sections, is perfect to store letter or legal sized pads in an upright position, without a noticeable curl or slouching of paperwork. A simple wire sorter is designed to keep files in view at all times, while its non-marring rubber feet protect a desk surface from scratches.

A 6 – 12 slot organizer, with or without drawers, comes constructed in clear acrylic, compressed wood or steel mesh, to offer a wide variety of compartments to sort binders, file folders, pads, envelopes, mail, writing instruments and more. A multi-compartment organizer often features shelves, which adjust or remove for ease in altering a layout or section size.

A full-width desk hutch, measuring in the region of 59.5-inches in length, offers a collection of shelves and dividers to create a spacious and tidy office space. A low-profile center often stands a mere 12-inch in height to avoid obscuring a view.

Apart from the versatile file organizers, a 3-tier swivel tower, desk caddy, or mesh pencil cup, all offer perfect choices to hold the smaller desktop accessories in one single space, and great to fill with pens, erasers, pads, pencils, scissors, paper or binder clips, or similar such office accessories.

Whether it is to sort binders, files, folders, or writing instruments, a space-saving desk top organizer offers a practical choice to use all available upright or horizontal space, while still having paperwork within easy reach.

Its imperative when thinking of the conduct of a TQT study to always consider not ‘One Size Fits All’. Lots of study designs and ECG assessment methodologies have been tested and posted for regulatory acceptance.

The result of these studies as well as published guidelines is providing an ever growing list of options for the design of future studies.

- Presently the Clinical Trials Website (http://clinicaltrials.gov/) has 35 TQT Studies listed on it

- The following shows the studies that we have identifies; 2003 – 1, 2004 and 2005 – 2, 2006 – 5, 2007 – 6, 2008 – 15 , and 2009 – 4

- With subject numbers ranging from 30 to 300 the studies all vary in design

- This is remarkable considering that these studies all used moxifloxacin as a positive control

- Given that the sample sizes required to demonstrate assay sensitivity are now widely accepted to be around 40 subjects, with some authors suggesting sample sizes as low as 204

The 3 key elements of a successful TQT study are:

- An appropriate study design

- The quality of the ECG recorded during the clinical trial conduct

- The quality of the ECG analysis, Clinical Research Organisation and Clinical Trials procedures.

Study design
The sophisticated methods for ECG analysis applied to huge amounts of ECG traces is one of the main reasons for the associated large expenditures for TQT Studies.
Study designs need to ensure that the protocol directly fits the compound, thus allowing a reduction in the number of ECG recordings required without loosing the desired assay sensitivity. The protocols should ensure the highest possible quality of ECG recordings helping to vastly reduce cost and effort downstream.

ECG acquisition (during the study)
Bespoke design and subsequent analysis can become meaningless without good quality ECG data, tailor made design and successive analysis can be worthless}

ECG (analysis)
Automatic reading of digitally recorded 10 second 12-lead ECGs and cardiologist over reading is the current gold standard. Not only QT intervals but all ECG parameters (PR, QRS and T-wave morphology) need to be analysed and reported.

In these times of job uncertainty and economic downturn – a lot of folk are seriously looking at ways to ensure they continue to bring in income. Its a known fact that many successful businesses are started in an economic downturn.  The important part of business start-up is realising what sort of businesses do ok during recessions….

Clearly for any business to succeed there has to be demand and also a willingness by the business person to satisfy that demand to customer expectations. This is even more important in economic downturns, get it right and the business continues to perform, get it wrong and the business will quickly collapse!

The entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne professes in his autobiography that shrinking economies cause problems for both large companies and mismanaged companies, whilst the new business or small startup is dynamic in nature focussing on providing the right mix of product service and price to customers.  Being able to quickly modify a service offering and change with the times is something which small businesses and entrepreneurs generally do with ease.

This dynamic allows competitive advantage over larger more capital intensive businesses.  As long as finances can be controlled and ensure the cash flow of sales to be smooth – the small business is perfectly placed to take advantage of economic downturns.

The only other facet a small business needs to be great during an economic downturn is mentor support.  Relationships with other dynamic business people, either via mentoring, co-operative working, or supply chain synergy, are key to ensuring small businesses make the most of the inherant opportunities in this part of the economic cycle.  Support from fellow business people who really know what they are doing can multiply dramatically the impact of the small business.  From sharing experience and insight, to sharing technology and even opening new doors!  Mentor type business relationships are worth their weight in gold.

The entrepreneur Chris Cooke who originally set up the vacation rentals site www.rentinnerja.com quickly realised the value of business mentors.  Not only seeking out business suppliers, but actively searching for synergy partners which could help his business in so many more ways than a traditional service supplier – Chris benefitted from unparalled performance gains by having specialist mentors advising him in how to take his self catering holiday rentals business forward.

Realising the value of synergy mentoring – Chris adopted the same approach by quadroupling his business during 2008/9 and launching a unique franchise opportunity under the Rentin-Group where Chris brings his original mentors along with himself in allowing other motivated self starters be coached in successful niche market vacation rentals in their own new businesses.

“The benefits to the new business are tangible, and the quality of the coaching and business insight to this exciting industry is second to none!” says Chris who has seen rapid take up of his unique holiday rental franchises with the first release of niche areas seeing fast growth and success.

In this time of economic gloom many businesses are looking in depth at their budgets for potential savings.

One option being considered is to end the contract with the professional office cleaning in Aberdeen and do it all in-house using existing office staff. But does that actually save money in- practice?

Obviously your staff may not be happy about having this extra duty placed on them when they may already feel under pressure to do their normal job. But what other issues do we need to consider?

For example if you wanted to clean your office you would need to buy a number of different cleaning products and equipment. Someone will need to go out and buy these from the store. This is a time and cost expense in itself. All professional cleaning service in Aberdeen will have their own preferred cleaning chemicals which their staff will have trained in using. This means they will have access to all associated safety data sheets etc from their usual chemical supplier.

You may decide to employ an extra person to do the cleaning thus doing away with some of the savings but if you are considering using your existing staff you need to calculate into the process the lost opportunities for staff doing their “normal job”. Will that suffer if they are asked to do these extras and at what cost to your business?

If that person is not proficient on cleaning duties it will need to be done again an added expense and once again your office staff would not be using their skills and training in your business.

Consider the cost of mistakes when untrained people are cleaning your premises. Will someone try to remove a mark from a painted wall and remove the paint as well. Additional cost of repainting the wall! I heard about a receptionist /admin person who poured concentrated bleach on a floor to clean it and burnt off the top surface. That was a very expensive mistake to make. Will you be budgeting for additional repairs caused by trying to save money? There is also the danger of mixing cleaning chemicals e.g. some toilet cleaners when mixed together generate considerable amounts of heat and poisonous gases.

• Have you all the skills in house to develop all the health and safety guidance in-house? Or will you to pay to outsource it?
• Do you know enough about the role to do a professional Risk Assessment as required by law?
• Do you have copies of the COSHH data sheets for every single cleaning product your staff purchase in the event of an incident? Your local superstore will not supply them for the general household products they sell!

Can you be certain that you have the required COSSH safety data sheets for every single cleaning product your staff purchase? Your local supermarket or corner store will not be able to supply these legal documents and you will need them on site in case of an safety incident.}

If the choice was down to me as an office manager I would be asking myself the following questions

• “Are the extra costs of employing professional office cleaning cheaper than the risk of staff not focussing on my business and losing more money?”

• “What is the cost of not doing the job properly and having to repeat the work, do expensive repairs or facing legal issues over health and safety? ”

Personally I would come to the conclusion in most places that it would be better to hire a professional cleaning company in Coatbridge rather than take the risk of letting untrained people make mistakes. I believe it works out cheaper that way in the longer term.

An Introduction to Home Working

Ask anyone to describe their ideal job and working from home would come high on their wish list. Whether home working is an option provided by your employer or a decision you have taken yourself in starting your own business, the thought of just getting out of bed, walk over to a workstation and just start work is very appealing. No commuting to and from the office and working hours to suit yourself.

But is home or flexible working right for you as an individual, or good for your business as an employer? Well there are many advantages and disadvantages. Home or flexible working brings new responsibilities for both the employer and employee. Equally with advances in mobile technology it has never been easier to set up your own business to work from home.

An Increasing Trend

From a business point of view, allowing staff to work at home on either a full or part-time basis can bring a range of business benefits, from increased productivity, greater staff motivation to effective use of your premises. Advancements in mobile technology contributes enormously to the increase in opportunities for working at home.

The spread of home working using the internet or telephone opens up a new range of possibilities with regards to the way a business works and structures itself. Computers, mobile phones, broadband and mobile broadband all play a role. For the individual, becoming self employed and working from home has also never been easier. If you have a laptop and mobile phone the opportunity is there, it’s just deciding what you want to do. So home working is becoming a way of life for many individuals and businesses, but what is home working?

Some employers will offer selected employees the opportunity to become a teleworker, whereby an employee can undertake their role from home utilising various types of technology, which is installed at the employees home by the employer. The employee will remain in touch with the business and other teleworkers. Some businesses, for example the utility companies who require gas, electric and meter readers, will class employees undertaking this type of work as teleworkers or outworkers.

Some individuals opt for the self-employed work life. The self-employed will operate their business from home, offering a product or service such as web development or business consultancy from home. In these types of roles, the individual can often plan their day to suit their own needs. I know one web developer who often works well into the early hours of the morning as this is when he feels most productive.

Others such as a painter and decorator, plumber or gardener, whilst providing their services away from the home, use home as the office for paperwork such as pricing future jobs and preparing invoices. I know of several painters and decorators who work Monday to Thursday, but use Friday’s to go out and price up future potential work. That is one thing to bear in mind when setting up as self employed, you need to allow time to find or prospect for future work.

Some types of work are more suitable for flexible working than others, the following list is not exhaustive, but will give some guidance:

• Telesales and Marketing
• Customer Services
• Professional services & consultancy i.e. HR Administration & Accountancy
• Certain types of administration work
• Data input
• Creative/Graphics
• Writing, editing, translation and research.
• I.T. Support & Programming

Many of the above have a common theme and that is that as long as you have access to a computer and a phone, you can undertake almost all of these tasks from home.

The shift towards home working does not mean employees only work from home. Splitting time between the workplace and home is the most productive solution, as you want employees to attend meetings, therefore keeping them informed and involved. Continued face to face interaction within the business remains a key requirement.

With the introduction of home working regulations, employers now have to seriously consider employee requests to work flexibly from home, especially if they have parental responsibility for children under 16 years old, disabled children or they are carers for other adults with disabilities.

Employers and individuals also need to consider what equipment will be required to ensure that an efficient business operation and working environment is set up.

A wide variety of computer desks are available to meet the needs of any home working environment

The Pros and Cons

So what are the advantages and disadvantages of an employer allowing employees to work from home or use their home as a base for at least part of the working week? It’s clear there are a number of benefits to the employer:

• Staff Retention is increased
• Wider pool of applicants to recruit from e.g. disabled people who prefer to work from home.
• Productivity gains through having fewer interruptions and less commuting time.
• Reduced stress and sickness increasing staff motivation.
• Savings on office space and facilities.
• Sales staff closer to clients, rather than being based at the office which could be miles away.
• As with life if there are advantages then there are also disadvantages to home/flexible working:
• Management of staff and monitoring performance
• Possible deterioration of key skills and quality of work.
• Capital costs – training and providing suitable equipment, this could include adaptations to meet Health & Safety standards or meet the needs of disabled workers.
• Difficulties maintaining staff development and upgrading of skills.
• Information security risks
• Increased telecommunication and I.T. costs
• Sense of isolation and communication problems amongst home workers.
• Staff morale and difficulties in maintaining team spirit.
• Home working may not be suitable for certain types of jobs.

One thing I particularly miss is the Monday morning office banter about what you did at the weekend of how your football team has fared compared to others. Often the camaraderie that is unique to an office where you get to know people well over many years is also lost where home working becomes an option.

Are You Suited o Working at Home?

Having identified the types of work that is suitable for flexible working, the employer must satisfy themselves that employees are suited to this type of work. It’s likely they will need a number of skills in key areas to allow them to work away from base.

• Time management and self discipline
• Motivation
• Communication
• Technology

We must make it clear that flexible working is not suitable for everyone and care should be taken, because allowing one person to work from home will set a precedent that others will want to follow. Others will see an attraction to working at home particularly on a lovely summer’s day, rather than being stuck in an office. I must confess that as I write this article, I am sitting in our summer house at the bottom of the garden with the laptop on a glorious summer’s day in June.

An employer you must have a clear idea of how home/flexible working could fit in with the needs of the business. A set of house rules need to be established and maintained, i.e. priority is given to requests from parents of young or disabled children. My wife for example, plans her day around the hours of taking the children to school and collecting them later. She maintains that she is extremely focused on what she needs to achieve within those six hours in between. No distractions or idle chit-chat that will occur in an office environment.

In some cases the employer is legally obliged to seriously consider requests for home/flexible workers. Employee with parental responsibility for children aged 16 or under, or disabled children who are under 18 and receive disability living allowances can request a range of flexible working patterns from their employers, this includes the right to work from home. There are similar rights for employees who are carers of adults.

The introduction of home working can also lead to an overhaul to employment contract terms and conditions. In a majority of cases an employee’s place of work is listed in the written schedules of their employment contract. It’s important that when an employee starts to work from home it may be necessary to review and amend their employment contract.

The following is a list of contractual aspects an employer should consider when implementing a home/flexible work policy:

• Stated hours of work
• Identify core times when employees undertake to work and/or are contactable.
• Extra duties or responsibilities that may need to be assigned in addition to those already agreed
• Identify the terms regarding the supply and insurance of any equipment that may be required, these should clearly state ownership and use, especially that its not to be used for personal use.
• Clearly identify what the employer will reimburse to cover additional expenses the employee may incur, its especially important to identify the calculation method when costs are shared i.e. utility bills and telecommunications
• Procedures to be put in place if either the employee or employer wishes to terminate the home/flexible working arrangement.

Allowing flexible working the employer should remember that they still have health and safety responsibilities for people who work at or from home; and you are likely to have to provide and maintain equipment for employees to use, these include:

• Workstation complete with suitable task chair
• Filing cabinet, shelves or storage
• PC/Laptop with office software, email and broadband internet connection
• Dedicated business telephone line
• Printer & fax machine
• Stationery and Office Supplies

If you suffer from back pain at your desk, take a look at the ergonomic office chair which could be the answer to solving your discomfort.

IT equipment and software can be expensive so it’s important to ensure it meets your genuine business need and is compatible with your existing systems. Technology changes almost daily and with today’s advances the establishment of virtual teams where employees work together despite working at home can be set up easily and at reasonable expense. These teams could be two employees talking over the phone or you could use more hi-tech solutions like high speed internet, instant messaging, webinar and video conferencing.

Providing all this kit and equipment it is important to ensure your business insurance cover is extended to cover home workers, as their home insurance is unlikely to cover this, however they should check with their insurer and extend their policy to cover working from home.It is also a good idea to find out who would be responsible for a claim should you have an accident at home, during working hours.

Workers who undertake home working should check with their local council and mortgage company the position regarding using their home as a work base, and whether they may have to pay business rates for the portion of their home they use as an office. Some self employed businesses will involve use of a vehicle which will need to be parked up at certain times of the day. For example painters and decorators and builders are likely to utilise a transit van or pick up truck in the work. You should therefore ensure that neighbours will not be offended by having the vehicle parked in the street or to block light out of their homes. If you are to park a vehicle at home, let the neighbours know, it may save a lot of hassle later.

The employer needs to ensure that employees take care of business equipment and information in their possession, it’s important to establish procedures to be followed if any item is damaged or lost, especially data and intellectual rights.

We all agree that flexible working offers a wide range of benefits to both the business and employees, but it needs to be carefully managed to be successful. Procedures should be put in place for managers to monitor and assess home workers, this is the most significant managerial challenge an employer will face. It can be helpful to measure their effectiveness in terms of output rather than the hours of work. Agree set goals and deadlines for particular projects, and ensure these are being met, give feedback promptly and sensitively if things go wrong.

Ensuring home workers have access to training can prepare and help employees develop the necessary skills they need.For staff who work alone a sense of isolation is one of the main factors most likely to make home working fail, therefore it’s important to ensure procedures are put into place to make people feel part of the team, these should include:

• Frequent two-way feedback sessions about work and work related issues
• Regular visits to the workplace
• Inclusion in social activities for home based workers.
• Clear procedures that can be followed and contact lists for when things go wrong.

When the employees job is home-based from the start, make sure their initiation is undertaken at your premises, this helps the home worker focus and be productive if they have a chance to establish a clear idea of the people they will be working for.

Even for the small office in the workplace or at home office fit out contractors will advise on efficient use of lighting, space and the correct furniture.

A Brief Health & Safety Obligations Check List for Home Workers

If you use your home as your main business workplace, you must carry out a health and safety risk assessment to identify any possible hazards to yourself, workers, visitors and other members of your household.

Possible hazards include:

• Using work equipment at home, including electrical appliances
• Your workstation set-up
• Handling loads
• Hazardous substances and materials
• Psychological hazards, such as stress or loneliness
• Fire
• Slips, trips and falls
• Excessive noise or vibration

Slips, trips and falls are one of the most common causes of injury in the work place. Even something we take for granted on a daily basis, such as walking up and down the stairs, should be regarded as a hazard. Evaluate whether a hazard is significant and if it is, whether you have taken enough precautions to make the risk as low as you reasonably can.

You need to consider:

• Your home and those who live there – including vulnerable persons, e.g. children, the elderly, and new and expectant mothers
• The work done in your home
• The equipment in your home
• Emergency procedures
• First aid provision

Five steps to a health and safety risk assessment

1. Identify any hazards.
2. Decide who might be harmed and how.
3. Assess the risks and remove them or, otherwise, reduce them as far as is reasonably possible.
4. Record your findings.
5. Check the risks regularly and take further steps if needed.

Conclusion

With advancements in mobile technology, working at home has become far easier to do. It can offer a very balanced way of life and the rewards can be significant. In the current economic climate, many who have been unfortunate to suffer redundancy or reduced hours are considering setting up their own business to work at home. Having worked in the corporate world for over twenty years and just suffered redundancy, it is certainly something to consider.

But working at home needs to be considered carefully. Is it right for you? Is it right for your employer? What impact will it have on my homelife? Many advantages, but also many disadvantages and bear in mind the health and safety requirements and risks. Your health is important so choosing the correct office furniture to meet your needs is a must for any home worker to ensure you have the proper facilities for home working.

For years a friend of mine worked from home with his desk in his living room and eventually he realised that he could never get away from work, which is as important as doing the work in the first place because we all need time away from work.

If you are lucky enough to really love your work the temptation can be to do it all day long. Eventually this can lead to burn out and can also take away some of the pleasure of working, even if it is something you really love. Therefore it is important to have balance in your life, even more so when you work from home. Some suggestions to help to achieve this are to make sure that when you have lunch, for example, remove yourself from the work space and don’t eat at your desk, get some separation from the work when you are not doing it.

Remember that just because you work from home it doesn’t mean that work has to take over your life.

When you think of the term Paper flags do you think of the crowds of people standing at the roadside while the Queen goes by waving little flags like crazy? Well believe it or not, today paper flags are big business!

Can you believe our company makes millions of them every year for all sorts of companies such as theatres, building societies, councils, garages, and estate agents not to mention charities and supporters clubs.

Well those people are waving what are commonly called printed flags which are available in a huge range of shapes, sizes and colours and can be tailored specifically for your event.

Paper flags can be printed on one or both sides and are mounted on a plastic stick so they can be held in the hand for waving in a crowd. These paper flags are colourful, attractive, and economical. They have become very popular, particularly over recent years, just try not to wave one as soon as it is given to you!

Some of the great benefits of these hand waving flags as promotional items is that they are environmentally friendly, really cost effective to create, and everyone loves waving them. Compared to other much more costly promotional items, gifts or marketing giveaways they are a real winner.

History of Paper Flags

Paper did not appear in the western world until the early 1300s so it would have been some time later that the earliest know form of small flags were cut out of paper. These were usually religious in character and today, thousands of colourful cut-paper flags which depict various mythological and religious figures are produced in China for annual festivals.

Can you remember when you were a child cutting rows of patterns, sometimes figures of girls or boys from folded paper? This is the handed down tradition of Scherenschnitte which is the German for “scissors” cutting, which is often translated as “silhouette” a practise which became popular in Austria in the seventeenth century.

From this time a whole tradition of cut paper craft has evolved around the world, such as the shadow puppets of Indonesia and the common tissue-paper flags of Mexico known as Paper Picado.

Current Usage

Children particularly enjoy waving flags during festivals, shows or exhibitions. Paper flags however are more commonly used today to advertise and promote sporting events, fund raising projects or special occasions. Promotional printed flags are a wonderful way of catching the eye and can be a profitable way of advertising for any event. Colourful printed flags are attractive, economical to produce and ever popular.

One particularly imaginative use of a paper flag is to print them up with a discount voucher on one side that can be used for special offers.

Whether it’s the World Championship, the Premier League, or a local cup final, supporters with their paper flags, show their true team spirit. That is why paper flags for supporters are the top choice of some of the biggest clubs and soccer leagues in the world.

Paper flags are economical to manufacture and can be purchased at unbelievably low give-away prices. A huge range of samples of paper flags are available as printers of paper flags will generally hold back a few items from each run as examples of the kind of products available. These will all relate to real world, fund raising campaigns, promotions, product launches, and sports teams events flags that have previously been commissioned.

There is a huge selection of artwork to choose from for custom made paper flags because the print area is flat and a set size. The only boundaries are an individual’s imagination (and the size of the flag too of course).

They can be ordered in various quantities required as they are usually quite easy to get hold of and simple to deliver.
Obviously paper flags are great for other promotional events, such as VIP visits, sales events and advertising. You can get paper flags with your own sales message or custom printed logo on one or both sides and they can also be used as promotional gifts.

One of the values of using small hand held flags for different promotional events, is that they are very easy to produce in both large and small quantities at a very low cost. Because they are digitally printed there will be the best possible quality finish to the flags and reordering is a breeze.

Conclusion

I am sure very few people will have given any consideration to small hand held flags until there is an occasion when they want to make use of them I mean it’s not generally the first thought you have when you wake up in the morning!. Then what happens? At one time people would have to go to a specialist shop that stocked such things.

Now they will probably look them up on the internet in Google(other search engines are available!). Such has our world changed. Buyers can even use their own designs. They can choose from a large range of pre designed flags, into which their personal messages can be incorporated.

A recent development in the recycled flag business is to use flag sticks made out of recycled paper which in addition to not being able to snap and create sharp points like the plastic versions, are also made of a diameter that is too large for children to cause damage if they stick them in their ears.

So do not be restricted by the images of small children waving little flags while royalty go by, and see what exciting and differing environmentally friendly flags ideas you can come up with for your next promotional campaign.

Banner stands are being used more and more for business promotion and increasing product awareness. Banner stands are a great way to make a promotional presence at exhibitions, conferences, training events and reception areas. For indoor and outdoor use, banner stands are a great display stand option.

Bannerstands are the gem of exhibition displays because they are: Highly portable and lightweight – Excellent value for money – Quick and easy to assemble

Yet in deciding to purchase a banner stand, there are a few steps you need to consider before you buy. Where you will be using the banner stand and for what purpose?

The use of the banner stands will affect the type of banner stand that you decide to buy. You could ask yourself these questions:

Do I need a single or double sided banner stand?

Does it need to be portable and will it have to fit into the boot of a car?

Do I need to change the message on the banner at a later date?

Do I need to link this banner to another banner?

How frequently will I use the banner stand?

What type of banner stand?

You will need to decide on the type of bannerstands that are best for you, based on your answers to the above questions. Roller banner stands, telescopic banner stands and rigid banner stands all have uses that are suitable for varying environments and usage. Some are extremely light for easy portability, while others are stronger to stand up to the rigors of exhibition life, while others have the flexibility to change graphics quickly and efficiently.

Deciding on the message for your banner stand is the first step. You need to think long and hard about what you are trying to achieve with this portable display. For instance:

Is it to increase your business image?

To convey what your business specializes in?

To promote a product you manufacture or distribute?

To inform and educate about a service or special offer?

Where to buy banner stands?

There are many display stand companies out there, but few that can supply the complete package of great choice, value for money, excellent customer service support and complete graphic design support. POD Exhibitions have been supplying banner stands for over 10 years and have years of experience in the exhibition stand industry.

They can provide artwork studio support to help with the smooth transition of providing the artwork to them for printing. They also offer guarantees on all of their products and work with you to get your banner stand and graphics to you for your event deadline.

Artwork for your banner stand?

After you have decided on the banner stands you require then you will need to prepare your print ready artwork. You will need you to supply the appropriate logos, text and pictures. You need to decide which banner stand style you require so you can give all appropriate specifications to your designer and also plan your use of the stand.

This week’s landmark news that British Telecom is to become the pioneer United Kingdom telephone business to ensure calls to 0870 numbers and 0845 numbers are free, is expected to be seen in with delightful cheers from consumers and campaigner organisations alike.

0870 numbers in particular, have been the topic of a great deal of negative media coverage over recent years and this is mainly because of the high price to call them the fact that some organisations make money from phone calls to these numbers (particularly annoying for clients calling help numbers and after-sales help).

Using these numbers in the public sector has also faced a large amount of scrutiny and the Department of Health has recently launched a consultation in an attempt to review the application of them in the NHS.

There are even groups that have been particularly set-up to campaign against these phone numbers, like saynoto0870.com.

When they were brought in, 0845 numbers used to be billed at local rate, whereas 0870 numbers used to be national rate to call. This is not the case now with the bringing in of free quota minutes and call deals offered by mobile and landline companies and is likely to be the main reason for British Telecom’s new billing structure for its residential clients.

British Telecom at the moment has about a sixty percent market share so it appears probable that the other normal players in the telecoms arena will follow suit – including Sky, Virgin Media, Talk Talk and Tiscali, who currently charge between 26 pence and £1.07 for a 10 minute phonecall to an 0870/0845 number (as of 8th January 2009).

Now, although this massive leap is in the right direction for BT’s residential clients, it’s must be noted that 40% of all United Kingdom calls carried out in 2007 were made using mobile phones (Ofcom 2008). This means that, though some of British Telecom’s landline callers look set for a great bargain, mobile callers will still pay around 20-30 pence per minute to call 0870/0845 numbers.

For organisations that would like to offer their landline and mobile callers an fantastic bargain, 03 numbers are going to be the obvious answer.

03 numbers cost clients the same to call as standard landline numbers- even when calling from a mobile phone – at any time. They are also included in the free minutes packages that are optional with all major mobile and landline providers.

The 03 number range is split into three segments:

-0303/0300 numbers exclusively for charities and public sector organisations.
-0330 / 0333 numbers for any business or organisation.
-03 equivalent numbers for businesses that at present have an 08 number and would like to swap it for 03.

Organisations are now taking advantage of the massive potential of 03 numbers, including the BBC, the Metropolitan Police, Pioneer, Oxfam and the Royal Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

03 numbers are also being advocated by the Department of Health as the perfect alternative to 08 numbers for NHS services that want to help from the extra services that 08 numbers offer (like caller options and call queuing etc.) and at the same time providing their callers a better deal.

In all, BT’s newest move will save its residential clients an estimated £24m a year. This new business plan not only underlines the importance and popularity of non-geographic telephone numbers, it also reinforces the argument for providing clients a better deal at all times. And for this, 03 numbers still reign supreme.

Why bother?

The life blood of any business is good customer service. New customers are important but good customer service will help generate customer loyalty and repeat business. With every satisfied customer your business is likely to go on and secure many more customers through recommendations and if you do not take proper care of your customers there is probably a competitor waiting in the wings that will.

A customer satisfaction survey will demonstrate to your customers that you care and are proactive in looking for ways to improve the service that you provide.

Where do you start?

Objective – As a first step decide what the main objectives of the survey are, in that way you will be able to retain focus and find it easier to decide what questions to ask.

Analysis – When the survey is complete consider how you will analyze the answers.

Bare in mind that ‘closed’ questions (where the respondents are asked to choose from a limited number of responses) are easier to analyse than questions that are ‘open’ (where the respondent can reply in anyway they want).

A great deal will depend on the volume of respondents, the higher the volume the more important it is to have an easy method of analysing the results.

Opportunity – As well as obtaining valuable market research data keep in mind that customer surveys are also a good way to advertise areas of your service that your customers may not be aware of.

Before publishing the survey read through the survey from a market research view point to confirm that you are asking the right questions in the right way and that your chosen answer format will provide you with feedback that will allow you to make informed decisions.

Next, read through the survey from a marketing view point, check that you have phrased each question so that every opportunity has been taken to promote your business?

The ideal question will perform the following three functions:-

• Market research – provide valuable feedback to help you improve your customer satisfaction levels and in turn your business
• Marketing – promote aspects of your business
• Information/Education – advertise a service that you provide that your customers may not have been unaware of

For example:- Do you find the in-store baby changing facilities useful?

By asking this question not only will the store receive good market research feedback on the facility they provide but they will also promote their facilities and advertise themselves as a family friendly store, even beyond those customers who have a specific need for the baby changing facility that has been provided.

Warts and all – to maximise the benefit from a customer survey you must be prepared to take criticism.

A customer satisfaction survey should be designed to identify any problem areas so that they can be fixed; conducting regular customer satisfaction will help prevent complacency and will also give early warning on where you may be losing business to your competitors initiatives.

What questions should you ask?

Each business is likely to have unique factors in relation to providing good customer services however there are common areas that are going to be relevant to all businesses be they a physical store, online store or a service industry. The following are key areas to providing good customer service.

Communication – Are you confident that you make it easy for your customers to communicate with you?

When a customer telephones is the phone answered promptly; are enquiries about products or services properly handled? Good businesses will make every effort to ensure that whatever the customers query it is resolved by the right person, politely, quickly and fairly.

If a problem is not resolvable immediately do you promise to respond in a given time period and do you deliver on your promise?

Use a customer satisfaction survey to check that your customers find your staff to be helpful, courteous and knowledgeable.

Location – Do your customers find it easy to visit you, if a physical bricks and mortar store, is it conveniently located with good access?

Making it pleasant, making it easy – For an internet business it is important to ensure that your website is easy to use and aesthetically pleasing.

Physical store or online website, is the store properly laid out, can your customers find what they need and is there sufficient information and help on hand to explain how a particular product works?

The right quality products – In addition to measuring the quality of the service that you provide you should ensure that the products and services that you provide do fully match your customers’ requirements.

Value for money – Cheap or expensive is not always a good measure, value for money is.

Do your current customers consider your services as value for money, if not, why not?

Speed and attention – No matter what the business, the majority of customers will want to be dealt with quickly but attentively.

Are you doing everything you can to avoid delays?

Customers like to be treated as individuals, how do you treat your customers? Attention is appreciated but it needs to be followed up with a quick and satisfactory resolution to the query.

Demographics and Specific issues – Take the opportunity to profile your customers, for example where do they live and what is their age group?

The more knowledge you have of your customers the better you will be able to target your business.

Provide your customers with an opportunity to document any specific problems that they may have had and provide contact details so that problems can be resolved and followed up.

What is next?

Having completed the survey analyse the results.

Trends – Identify specific and common areas where the service is found wanting.

Ask yourself if any criticism is valid, be honest to yourself, is there anything that can be done to properly resolve, or at the very least, minimise the problem?

Training – Are all employees properly trained and do they have sufficient knowledge?

Where employee training programmes have been implemented have they had a positive impact on the business?

Follow-up – If a customer who has completed a survey has raised a specific issue ensure that they are contacted and their complaint addressed.

Don’t waste an opportunity to resolve a problem and keep a customer.

Continuously Monitor – Make changes based on the survey results and then re-measure by issuing follow up surveys.

If you are concerned about customer satisfaction and would like to view a sample survey for a store that will demonstrate some of the above advice please view the Sample Customer Survey.

When it comes to dealing with the business world the vocations and companies that will be hiring employees of course have to make sure that they are taking on the very superlative people which they will be using to move their companies up to higher levels.

We have seen a recent direction in recent years where increasing numbers of organizations are making use of private investigators to make sure that the people who come into their companies are of the absolute highest capability and quality possible.

Due to all of the regulations in the world in which we live we see the so many entrepreneurs and employment owner have been getting into the detective agencies field as there is a great deal of monies that can be made from providing this important service to those in need of it.

There are various specific functions that the private eye  have to undertake and they go into some depth on topics such as criminal background checks and background checks  as know this type of information will mean that the employer will be able to rest assured that they have reliable people in their employment as there are enough things to worry about as a business owner other than having to worry about the criminal history of employees and whether or not they will be carrying out their tasks as described and for what they were actually hired for.

It looks as though we will continue to be making use of (the) private investigator course and also of the criminal background checks that they perform for business owners.

Once the business owner has used his detective agencies  for the criminal check then he can go away and distress on vacation and for that we see that often people look to find cheap airfare so that they can make their monies stretch as far as possible.

Because we now live in a borderless world people want to travel and see other cultures and with that in mind it looks as though the subject of cheapest airfare will continue to be something that is more and more popular not just business owners but for us all.