7 Simple Ways to Liven Up a Quiet, Dreary Office

7 Simple Ways to Liven Up a Quiet, Dreary Office You dont have to work in  a state of the art building with  a private gym, lunch chef and massage room to enjoy coming to the office. You just need a space that feels nice to be in; something comfortable, clean and inspiring. Whether youre the manager of a team or a member of one, if you feel like your office space is flat, boring and dreary, and in serious need of some sprucing up, its likely that workers attitudes are following suit. To get some morale back in the office,  why not try adding these things to it? Theyre all cheap and super easy what are you waiting for? 1. Coffee The smell of coffee is amazing! Why not get a pod machine, or set up a little station in the corner of the office, so employees  can make themselves a little pick me up? It might also start some light-hearted competition, too Just scored the last coffee pod for the office coffee machine.. muuueeaaahahaha Michael Manning (@mmanningau) July 30, 2012 2. Plants If your office is full of  boring desk space, dirty coffee mugs and computer screens, no wonder things feel a little bit dull in there! Adding a few pops of greenery, aka pot-plants and pretty ferns, will give everyone a breath of fresh air! View this post on Instagram were all set up at #uniquela holiday market! come visit us at BOOTH 136 (new booth alert!) were here today tomorrow from 11-6 and have everything you need for your loved ones this holiday ?????? A post shared by Pop Up Greens (@popupgreens) on Dec 3, 2016 at 11:27am PST 3. Treats Its just a fact of life that food has the ability to make us super happy! While we dont want to encourage binge eating, having a sweet treat available for a little morale booster might be just what the doctor ordered to lift moods. And its not all about taste, they look aesthetically pleasing too! Having a mix of a healthy and naughty treats is the way to go. View this post on Instagram Were in heaven.. #musksticks #lollies #candy #lollyuniverse #pinkcandy #sweets #lollyjar A post shared by Lolly Universe (@lollyuniverse) on Nov 16, 2016 at 10:37pm PST 4.  Stationery Desks and office equipment becomes especially important when people are bound to their desks all day, stuck between the same four walls for forty+ hours a week. Swap the blank, white jotter pads and boring blue point pens for some funky, fun and colourful stationery! It might be the pop of colour needed to inspire amazing some work. https://www.instagram.com/p/BOOeFXFj6Lg/?tagged=stationery 5.  Artwork Often when it comes to livening up a workspace, the writings on the walls Are yours bare? Or worse, littered with unevenly-hung corporate printouts from the eighties? If so, its time to invest in some colourful, inspirational and motivational pieces to brighten things up a bit. You dont have to fork out millions for designer pieces, just get creative with posters, pictures, world maps  or  fun finds from a  second-hand store. https://www.instagram.com/p/BNGKCPlAx3S/?tagged=worldmapart 6.  Personalisation, personalisation, personalisation! When you walk into an office, you want to feel like the people who work there are reflected in the atmosphere and aesthetics. Artwork is one thing, but  adding photographs of staff members or posters defining workplace values will help bring some comfortability  to the space, and remind workers of why they love working where they are! View this post on Instagram When a company has a core set of values to guide them! Very handy especially in times of uncertainty or fog? Let the values guide instead of ego! Thanks for sharing Buffer?? very yogic! . #yoga #yogalife #values #corevalues #yama #niyama #illusion #lifeisgood #iamworthy #ahimsa #satya #buffer #yogateacher #buffer #corporatevalues A post shared by Foga • Yoga (@fogayoga) on May 23, 2016 at 7:38am PDT 7. Music We cannot forget how important music is for moods. Music doesnt need to be played all the time, but it can act as a mood booster and get people motivated / feeling happy! On a Friday, switch the deafening silence (apart from keyboard tapping) for some fresh tunes that put a smile on employees faces and a groove in their shoulders? View this post on Instagram Tonight, @rubyl0ve and @feebspinks are off to see @tinietempahofficial at Heaven! Time to crack out the dance moves ?????? #LifeatLinkHumans / #TinieTempah / #?? / #GetLoud / #Charity / #TeamTrip A post shared by Link Humans (@linkhumans) on Jun 8, 2016 at 9:11am PDT The best way to liven up an office is to ask what the workers want to see! Who knows, maybe theyll come up with some fun ideas you never even thought of?

Clothes and Your Personal Branding - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Clothes and Your Personal Branding - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career As they say, clothes don’t make the man but they do make a difference. Of course, there is the argument that clothes do make the man because naked people have little influence in our society. Quite frankly, clothes are the least important part of your physical presence, but they are part of it. Fortunately, they are the easiest to do something about. A basic objective when you view clothes is to “wear your performance.” That’s why people dress extra spiffy for job interviews. If you do well, you should look like you do. Business, as all of life, is based on perception. If you look like a leader in your dress and demeanor even before you are, people will perceive you as such sooner. The acceptance of business casual dress does not mean it’s acceptable to be casual in comportment. “Leaders reflect a confidence and it shows in their faces, the way they walk and the way they dress. They usually understand the ‘costume thing.’ To say all leaders are great dressers would be incorrect, but they do look like they are naturally fitted into the gear they are wearing for whatever and wherever the event or forum. They can be tall or short, slim or round, yet they are 95 percent of the time in tune with the ‘what’ that they are communicating by what they wear and how they wear it. Look at Churchill, George Patton, Condoleezza Rice, John F. Kennedy, Fidel Castro, Douglas MacArthur, Saddam Hussein, Arafat, and Bill Clinton. Leaders look like they are in charge, as a rule. If you care about the little things such as what you wear, you probably care about a lot of other little and big things as well. A leader usually looks imposing. Even Gandhi in his special way commanded the attention by the way he dressed,” says Ted Wright, CEO,  The Aslan Group. To make the clothes issue simpler: Select a dominant color: black, navy, tan, gray, brown, and buy the best quality and style that you can in that color in every piece of clothing and accessory. You get your wardrobe pulled together quicker and can travel easier with one color. Consistency in dress implies consistency in behavior. You can keep one color from being boring with your selection of ties, shirts, jewelry, scarves, and so on. Rotate the old out. Just as you adopt new business trends, adopt (within reason) fashion changes. For example, if ties/lapels are narrow, go with narrow; don’t stay with wide. You don’t have to be on the cutting edge, but you don’t want to look dated either. One CEO I know buys a new pair of shoes and immediately gives away an old pair. He does the same with shirts, jackets, slacks, and so on. Nothing new goes into his closet without something old coming out. Unless everything fits perfectly, regularly alter clothes to fit you. If you gain or lose weight, it’s cheaper than a new wardrobe â€" and it’s a necessity for your appearance. You should dress the way you want those around you to dress, since subordinates will tend to emulate the leader’s attire. Then turn it up a notch, making your dress just a hair better to meet the image people have of a leader. When attending a special event, research the expected dress in advance. Find out what’s typical, and choose your attire accordingly. Dressy clothes aren’t just for special occasions but to make an occasion special. Even if you are simply presenting a plaque at lunch with three colleagues, your attire should still befit the accomplishment. If casual is the norm at your office, keep a “dress up” outfit stored there for emergency situations. Have a complete “might need” outfit set aside and marked for your administrative assistant or significant other to ship overnight to any location when needed. A final word on clothes: It’s more important how you wear them than what you wear. Standing tall and straight makes any type of clothes look better because they hang better on your body. Despite my emphasis on being aware of your own attire, don’t be judgmental toward others. Don’t give the suited person preference, respect, or attention over the casually dressed person. Both get the same treatment as in everything in this book. Besides, you never know who has the most influence in what you’re trying to do.

Building an app for your business - what exactly do you need

Building an app for your business - what exactly do you need The world of IT can be somewhat baffling at times for entrepreneurs â€" unless, of course, they are setting up a tech-based business. However, if you are getting started or are planning to develop and expand your business, you might not have much idea of how IT can really work for you. Naturally, you will be familiar with computers and the internet, maybe with tablets and smartphones, but you may just use them for writing and storing data and pictures and for communicating either by phone or by email. Your IT requirements would have been in your original business plan, including what finance would be needed for them, but you may not have considered that your business could benefit from an app  indeed you might not even be sure what an app actually is, because IT jargon is natural for some but a bit bemusing for others. What is an app? Simply put, its a contraction of the word application and is a type of software that lets you perform specific tasks. For example, a word processor is an app, as is a web browser that allows you access to the internet. Initially, before smartphones and tablets arrived on the scene, apps were for desktop computers and then laptops. The development of mobile technology means that there are many more ways for people to access information, and if they are already your customers you need to make sure you can give the information they want about your products and services on whatever device they are using. You will doubtless have a website in todays fast-moving business world you couldnt do without one so you already have a good online presence. The trouble is that what people see on a large screen will not work well on a small screen, so you need to consider how to build an app that will show your business in the best possible light on different devices. Planning your app Firstly, you need to think about what you require your app to do. Theres little point in going ahead without being clear about the direction you want to go in. When youre looking to get your app as attractive as possible for mobile users, make sure your planning is meticulous or youll be wasting money. Map out the functionality you want so that those who log onto your site through the app they have downloaded have a clear route to what they want to find. If youre too text heavy your site will feel cluttered, so keep your language clear and simple and make sure your visuals mirror your online brand. Clean, clear, attractive lines work best, and dont use colors that are overpowering because they can put customers off. Getting the functions right You want to be customer facing with your app, so getting the functions right is crucial. Once theyre on the site you need to keep them there to explore, either going for what they know they want or encouraging them to look around and, perhaps, make an impulse purchase that they will repeat, time and time again. By creating an attractive site visually, and making text easy to read by choosing consistent fonts, you can add menus and buttons that will make it simple for your customers to access the pages they want. Remember that people want you to make things as effortless as possible attention spans on the internet are short so you need to make them have an experience they enjoy. Youll get a sense of how successful your functionality is when you see how they respond to special offers you put out, if they order regularly from you, or if they opt in to receive emails. If here are too many screens to plow through before they get to what they want, there is a good possibility that they will go elsewhere. How to build your app It is IT, so to build it yourself you have to learn how to code. If you have that experience then you can put it to good use. If you dont and it does take time to learn, time you may not have you could always choose an independent development house to work with you. You could find out about Worry Free Labs to check on what they could bring to your business app development. Move your business on Standing still is not going to help your business development. A specialized app can make a real difference to your customer interface and drive new business to your mobile sites.

Youre the Boss! Self-Management Techniques When Youre Working Alone [INFOGRAPHIC] - Classy Career Girl

Youre the Boss! Self-Management Techniques When Youre Working Alone [INFOGRAPHIC] No matter how far into your career you are, it’s likely that you’ve worked from home at one point or another. To many, working from home often seems like the ultimate perk, since you can work in your PJs, create some flexibility in your schedule, and avoid a long and boring commute. The science also backs up that working from home has benefits like decreasing stress and increasing happiness. Despite the perks that come with a work from home job, when you do it regularly it can be tough to stay motivated and reach maximum productivity. Working in the same place you relax and unwind can also make it more difficult to unplug from your work life. Those that enjoy socializing with colleagues may also quickly find themselves feeling isolated. [RELATED: 5 Steps to Keeping a Work-Life Balance When You Work from Home] Managing yourself is an important skill to master no matter what stage of your career you are in. An important aspect of self-management is preparing yourself to ward against inevitable distractions. By being mindful of the interruptions you might face when working at home, you can better prepare yourself to stay focused. If you are aware of potential productivity hurdles, you’ll be better able to create a working structure that works for you. For example, if you’re likely to be distracted by family or roommates, consider setting boundaries during your working hours to ensure that you stay focused. By creating a rule to keep the TV off while youre online, you’re setting yourself up for a more productive work life. Understanding both the benefits of working from home and the potential roadblocks you might encounter will help you learn to excel at managing yourself. Fundera created a guide on tips for working from home. Read on to learn no-fail ways to maximize your productivity and happiness, whether you work from home regularly or on occasion. Youre the Boss! Self-Management Techniques When Youre Working Alone [INFOGRAPHIC]

How to Include Writing a Book on Resume

How to Include Writing a Book on ResumeThe question of how to include writing a book on resume may be asked by the employers who need to know about their applicants' experience. Of course, there are some questions that should be asked before that is even considered to be an appropriate topic to be included in the resume.One of the most important questions would be to find out what the applicant has written in the book. This is so because if the applicant has written it for the company in order to learn new things, then it will not be a good thing to include in the resume. It is important that the prospective employer knows that the applicant can handle and can write on his own.Who has been the writer? In this case, there must be some details to be considered when trying to figure out the writer. Is it the person's mother or sister? Does the person have a college degree in the area of teaching?Another important question is how the books were written. Of course, it is expected that the applicant writes books. There are many people who are able to write the books and produce their own books.Another question that would come into consideration when asking how to include writing a book on resume is how long it is going to take the writer to write. Of course, it will be expected that it will take some time. A company can even ask if the applicant has any other writing experience to write a book.Does the person have a personal life? It will be better if the person has a family life because then he can write more easily. Therefore, it will be better to ask if the person has a family.Some other questions that would be asked while asking how to include writing a book on resume is to see if the writer is a freelancer or not. Some times, it is found that these writers are not freelancers at all but they have their own business. Therefore, it is important to check the background of the writer because there are those who have been illegitimate and they have been hired by comp anies to write books for them.These are some good questions that would be asked when inquiring about the experience of the writer. Of course, the applicant will not get any writing experience from the writer if it is the correct thing to do. Therefore, this is a vital question to be asked before the applicants experience can be included in the resume.

Time to Take a Breather - Jane Jackson Career

Time to Take a Breather - Jane Jackson Career January 2013!   Another exciting new year full of promise, resolutions, new goals, hopes and dreams.   The end of 2012 was a flurry of activity, festivities combined with plenty of work to tie up loose ends before the holidays, family, friends and lots of celebrations for most of us.Now the New Year has begun and with determination to keep to our goals we stride forward in anticipation of great things.   Our lives continue to be filled with activities, work, socialising, more work, family, friends, responsibilities, hopes, desires, frustrations, concerns, joys, disappointments, wants and more wants.   Wait a minute, it seems like we’ve forgotten the simple pleasure of how to be still.What do I mean by being still?   Think about it when was the last time you were still?   I mean really still?The pure pleasure of doing nothing.   Just being.   Feeling the ecstasy of simply being able to breathe.   A feeling of being enough.   Enough in your own eyes, not only in the eyes of your pa rtner, your children, extended family, your friends, your colleagues.   Have you ever considered to yourself, “Am I enough for me?”One of the wonderful things about being a coach is that I am able to take a step back and be objective for others so that they can have their ‘Aha’ moments in their lives.   I’ve recently had my own ‘Aha’ moment.   This year I am learning to take a step back and simply be me for myself … and it feels good.It’s time to let go of all the endless chatter in our heads, the stories we tell ourselves, and others often in the form of discontented complaints.   Those stories that are designed unconsciously to make ourselves feel ‘right’ and someone else or something ‘wrong.’   We tend to feed our egos by being ‘right.’   The ego needs to define the boundary between ‘me and them’ to create a (false) sense of superiority.   The ego makes a habit of mental judgments and emotional reactions so you have a personal, reactive relations hip to all the events and the people in your life whether it is the weather, another’s actions or even an accident.   How many people do you know who personally react to all events in such a way that it creates suffering within them, however it’s not recognized as such.   The complaints they make to others and to themselves satisfy their ego.   It helps no one and creates negativity.   Think about it, have you ever allowed yourself to react in this way?If so, it’s time to be still, to simplify life and remove the stories in your head.   Stories such as:“It’s too windy and cold.”“They didn’t call me back.”“He was late, I was not.”“They were wrong.”Be present, accept every situation for what it is, not what you interpret it to be.   Respect other’s map of the world and be open to possibilities whatever events occur that create an emotional reaction.   Let it all go and be enough for your self.    In the midst of our busy days, every so often take the time to enjoy and be still.Jane Jackson is a career coach, life coach and director of Style Success.   Contact jane@janejacksoncoach.com or get regular inspirational and job search tips at: https://www.facebook.com/janejackson.careercoach

De-Stressing and Enjoying Your Holiday Times - Kathy Caprino

De-Stressing and Enjoying Your Holiday Times Happy Halloween to You! As the chill of Autumn arrives, we know that busy times are ahead complete with ghosts and goblins, turkey trots, Christmas, Hanukah, New Years and other beautiful celebrations fast approaching. Along with the bustle of excitement often come stress, worry, exhaustion, and over-load, especially for women and moms. We seem to take on a heavy load, usually from an intention of creating lovely, special, and lasting memories for our families and friends. No one sets out to be stressed during the holidays; it just happens. Or does it? I believe we can do something about this holiday-time stressit doesnt always have to be this way. So, what can we do to enjoy ourselves more, feel less frenetic and exhausted, yet still create beauty, celebration, and excitement in our lives, and the lives of our families?Here are a few tips that have helped me and others get onand stay ona path of holiday joy without the hysteria. The overall theme is: Say Yes! to what matters most to you and your family, and Let Go of what isnt working or joyful. Holiday De-Stressing Tips:1. Forget about attaining holiday perfection go for fun, joy with family and friends, and creating memories of laughter and love. Often we look at pictures in magazines or images on TV and film of holiday bliss, and believe we have to imitate the beauty and the magic portrayed there. Well, theres a reason that its on TV or in magazines! These are shots that have been posed, set up, meticulously and artistically planned and constructed by a staff, etc. You dont have to replicate what the media portrays as holiday charm and beauty. Do and create what gives you and your family pleasure to do. 2. Focus on holiday traditions that you and your family love most, and let go of the rest. We truly dont have time in the day to do everything we have to be selective and create lasting, fun traditions that define who we are uniquely as individuals and as a family. If baking holiday cookies simply does you in, then let it go! Buy the cookies from the store, and perhaps have your kids decorate them, on their own, with all the fun of messing it up and making a mess! But make sure they do their own clean up. 3. Remember, its not your job alone to create your familys holiday experience. Get help, and lots of it, from friends, your spouse, relatives, significant others, your children. Moms tend to believe that theyre in it alone in making the holidays wonderful. Not so. Empowering others in the family to pitch in and do, create, plan (and clean up!), is great for you, and even better for them. 4. Separate the shoulds from the wants. So often in life, we fail to differentiate between what we feel we should do versus what we want to do. This chronic adherence to should, especially around the holidays, leaves us empty, resentful, angry, and exhausted. Our shoulds often emerge from our childhood experiences and relate to beliefs weve carried about what we need to do to keep our families and friends happy, based on what our mothers and fathers did. Nows the time to stop shoulding and start doing what you feel in your heart would be fun and meaningful. As we walk away from should, we break through to a more authentic way of being. This allows us to break free of emulating a past picture that no longer resembles who we have become. 5. Finally, let go of what hasnt worked. A very wise man once said Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome is the definition of insanity. If something hasnt worked in the past, dont repeat it. If going to your aunt and uncles house for Christmas each year has always been a disaster, make new plans. If New Years Eve in Jamaica would ring your bell, then make a plan and make it happen. Even if it is not possible to move completely away from the old experience that isnt working, a small but conscious shift in your intention can make the whole experience feel new and improved (I intend to get along better with my brother and his wife this holiday season, for example). These empowered and intentional shifts can create miracles. Dont wait. Take steps this year (now) to empower yourself and your family to jointly and collaboratively create fun and meaning-filled traditions and experiences for the holidays. Its never too late to have what you want, the way you truly want it. Please let us know:1) What specifically stresses you out during the holidays?2) What have you done to de-stress? What works best for you? Thanks for sharing your tips for having a beautiful and restorative holiday season. All best wishes,Kathy