Winter. It’s cold. And wet. And dark. It leads to the January blues and that mythical thing called ‘Blue Monday’ (The Guardian, 19 January 2015).

Yet this is the time of year when team building can be seen at its best. People are having to cover for staff taking Christmas breaks. Others are dealing with the effects of a cold, flu or even a stomach bug. Colleagues have to help out by taking on extra work when absence is caused by a worker or their family members being ill. Some people may be worrying about how to pay off the Christmas overspending. Others are doing their grumpy best to stick to new years’ resolutions involving no sweet things or alcohol. Yes, Dry January (Alcohol Concern) is officially A Thing now, as if January wasn’t already miserable enough. The days are cold, wet and darkly long. You go to work in the dark and you return in the dark. Daylight is that fleeting thing you only see at weekends. Tempers are short and nights are long. No more Bank Holidays until Easter, which is all the way away in April. December may have been the end of the financial year for some firms, and chances are, if that’s your firm, your poor accountant worked all the way through Christmas to ensure the figures were submitted before New Year.

Time for a change. A chance to shake up the winter sluggishness. The perfect time for a shouting, muddy, outdoor team building game? Or for curling up with a mug of hot chocolate and a quiz show with colleagues, if tastes run to something needing less muscle power and more brain power.

So why not reward your staff for their hard work over the winter? Arrange to book them on a suitably wacky team building game for that inevitable slump which hits all offices by the end of February. Give them something to look forward to. A bracing round of golf or a muddy zipline challenge; an orienteering day or simply a walk in the park where everyone is required to find out at least one new fact about someone they work with and two about someone they don’t.

Or perhaps a quiz show based on one of the timeless formats from Bruce Forsyth’s heyday in the 70s. A gameshow clone where experts oversee your staff trying their hands at throwing pots or answering observation-based questions after watching TV show clips or listening to music samples.

A team building events and games organiser will be able to suggest a suitably raucous game for the outdoors events as well as a suitably cerebral challenge for those who prefer to stay inside in the warm. They are used to fielding all kinds of requests from all kinds of firms and like nothing more than putting together a unique day to relax stressed out workers.

The thing is that team building events and games can range from a short conference energiser or meeting focusser lasting a few minutes (choose five items to take with you to a desert island, for instance) to a day long experience of white water rafting or a track day. Events are designed to be fun and light hearted while teaching team skills subliminally – your raft isn’t going to get down the flume without all of you steering it, nor is your team of drivers going to win purely by being the fastest around the track; no good barging everyone else out the way and being black flagged for dangerous driving, is there?

As a manager you could even decide to liven up regular potentially repetitive quarterly or monthly meetings by including a short team building game. I’ve certainly been in the kind of long meetings where even the chance to break for a drink would have been appreciated, never mind actually seeing how the clients would have reacted if we had asked them to let their hair down a bit. It’s amazing how a bit of fun can break down barriers between businesses and lead to a better understanding of people’s requirements.

If you work at a large firm, make a suggestion that a team building activities organiser is invited onto the team overseeing your induction days. Your new employees will see that it’s not all work and no play at their new firm, and those needing to attend annual training will begin to wonder what you have planned for them this time. Of course, you’ll always find one or two staff who find playing games in meetings beneath them, but generally a bit of fun never hurt anyone.

Today is bright and sunny as I look out of the window, and I’m quite relaxed and even slightly pleased to see the bright daylight. Though I can imagine how much more glum I would feel if I looked up from my typing and saw grey, leaden skies and curtains of rain. Give your employees a chance to have a bright sunny day in their wet, cold and endless winter days by booking them on a team building day today. They deserve a reward for all their hard work, after all.

Just because you have poor credit or no credit, it does not mean that you are out of options. It does cause you to have a harder time securing a personal loan yet you can do so with some work on your end. Today, this article is geared towards those who have been denied for a personal loan because of their credit rating or were quoted high interest rates.

Home Equity Line of Credit

Many homeowners owe more for their homes than they are worth. However, if you have equity in your property, you may qualify for a line of credit that you can use as you please. However, before taking this route make sure that you actually need the money. You would be putting your home at risk if you cannot repay. If you have a steady cash flow and you are someone who is good at managing money this is an alternative option to consider. Your credit score will not play a factor either.

Go to Credit Unions

Members own credit unions so it is easier to get a loan through them than a bank. They are considered a nonprofit, they work by passing earnings to their members at lower rates, and their customer service is better than banks. All you have to do is go to your local credit union and discuss obtaining a personal loan through them. We suggest comparing interest rates to ensure that you receive the best deal.

Lenders that Specialize in Bad Credit

There are some lenders out there that specialize in helping people with bad credit.  Often times the loan amounts may be smaller but they can usually help people get a personal loan if you have poor credit.  Just be prepared to show you have a way to pay back the loan and that will go a long way in helping with the approval process.

Go to Your Peers

Peer to Peer lending (P2P) has been around for a decade now and it is becoming a popular option for those who need personal loans but do not have the best credit. With this option, you will be borrowing from other individuals while getting a low interest rate.

You will have to post a loan listing and investors have to choose to back your listing. This could take some time to happen because you have to wait for an investor to show empathy for you. However, it is a cheaper option than a bank and the chances of having your loan funded with your credit rating are higher.

Check out sites such as Lending Club and Prosper to get started.

Ask Friends or Family to Co-sign

Many people do not like asking their family and friends for a loan directly. An alternative for this is to ask them to co-sign for you to get a loan. As a co-signer, they will need to have good credit and an established financial history. However, they can help you get a lower interest rate and approved for a personal loan that you would have not been able to obtain otherwise. When taking this route just keep in mind that you will want to pay back the money or you are putting your loved ones finances at risk.

Closing Thoughts

While it may be difficult to obtain a loan with poor credit, it is 100% possible. Try the options that we have listed above to increase your chances of being approved for a personal loan despite your credit.

When revenue starts to drop, it can take some time to figure out the reason why customers are going elsewhere. In some cases, declining revenue can be directly related to image. If this is the case, it may be time to consider rebranding your image. To be fair, a comprehensive rebrand should be a last resort when sales start to slip. When it’s decided that rebranding is the way to go, however, a good place to start is with updated retail signage.

Reintroducing Your Brand

The key to successful reintroduction of your brand when it comes to the signs you display is quality and attention to detail. Whether you need some help fine-tuning your design or you have a basic concept already in mind, durable construction is essential when placing new signage. Speaking of placement, it’s just as important to determine where your signs will be placed other than obvious spots like outside of your store or in the window. Keep in mind that physical signs can be easily replicated in digital form for use in online marketing efforts.

Finding the Right Blend of Old and New

Rebranding doesn’t have to mean abandoning your company’s identity. In fact, when it comes to your new signage, there’s nothing wrong with incorporating elements of your original sign design with updated features such as a new color scheme or a different font. While it sometimes makes sense to start from scratch, sign design is usually about finding a happy medium between old and new that’s likely to appeal to your target customers.

Reaching Out to Different Demographics

Signs can be more “chatty” than you may realize. For instance, an outdated sign can give the impression that your retail business isn’t in touch with today’s consumer. Outdated signage can also be a deterrent when it comes to attracting new customers, especially if you’re trying to attract different demographics like younger consumers or urban consumers. If, for example, your brand is strongly associated with women, a gender-neutral design could help extend your brand’s appeal to men.

Successful rebranding is the product of meticulous planning. This is certainly important when it comes to the signage used for your business. Updated signs are meant to reflect the expectations of your current customer base while sending a message that you’re ready to welcome new customers to your business.

As commerce become increasingly internet-focused, distance sales are growing ever more popular. Almost every modern business will find that they need to rely on parcel delivery to meet their customer’s evolving appetite for online buying and telephone sales. It is no longer enough to offer your products in-store; instead, you need to be able to send them straight to your customers’ doors.

The parcel delivery service you offer will play an integral part in building your reputation. Speedy, reliable and efficient online purchasing experiences will keep customers coming back for more; on the opposite end of the spectrum, a slow or shoddy service will send your buyers running for the hills and perpetuate a lot of negative reviews online.

So how do you make sure that you deliver the former rather than the latter service? Read on to find out more…

Take Care With Your Packaging

Making sure that the goods you send out are correctly packaged is vital if you want them to reach your customers in the same condition that they left your premises.

Ensure that all of your items are packaged in sturdy outer containers that are equipped to hold their weight. It’s important to prevent your items from moving during transit, so delicate items such as glassware and ceramics should be surrounded by bubble wrap or polystyrene chips to keep them in place and prevent any damage.

Once you’re certain that your items are safe inside the box, you need to make sure that they won’t end up spilling out of it, so seal the parcel securely, applying tape across all of the edges and openings.

Once this is done, take care to label your package correctly. It’s also a good idea to include a return address just in case your items get lost in transit.

Choose a Reliable Courier

There are multiple professional courier services available for businesses to choose from, so there’s no real excuse for making a bad choice. It’s important to do your research before you make a final decision, so be prepared to spend some time comparing price quotes and services. It’s never wise to make a decision based solely on cost, so take into consideration how quickly your parcels will be delivered, where the courier service delivers to, and what procedures they have in place to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Use this information to draw up a shortlist of around three companies, and then conduct some internet research to help you gain an idea of their reputation. The company you choose ought to come highly-recommended, like TNT, and should be able to provide testimonials or references from satisfied customers at your request.

Take Out Insurance

Most courier services should be covered by their own insurance policy if your goods are lost or damaged, and this will usually cover items up to the value of around £50. However, this is not always the case, so you should never forget to read and examine the terms and conditions before assuming that this is so.

For more expensive items, it is always worth taking out your own insurance policy. If you’ve chosen your courier wisely, the chances of anything going wrong are minimal, but this doesn’t mean that it will never happen. Thus, it’s always worth making sure that you’re covered if something happens so that you don’t find yourself left out of pocket.

Follow our three top tips to provide the perfect delivery service for your customers.

The life of a business person is hectic. Some have a great deal of difficulty staying organized, even with the latest technology available. Virtual receptionists can help organize your day, take some of your call volume and help with daily administrative tasks. This gives you more time to handle important business or spend time with your family.

Assistance Answering Calls
A business person can enlist the help of a virtual assistant to answer specific calls or excess call volumes with call forwarding. The ability to filter specific calls over to the virtual receptionist ensures that you receive only the most important calls. If you have an extremely high call volume, the assistance of several receptionists may be required.

Help Answering Emails
Maintaining customer service standards and answering general inquiries can take up a large portion of your day. Remote workers can reply to these emails with proper business etiquette and pre-filled responses to help resolve queries and customer relations items. Filtering specific emails to at-home workers/assistants can help route emails to specific persons or departments for faster customer service.

Appointment Reminders
It is ideal to provide the assistant with a weekly agenda. These services ensure that all business meetings and engagements are attended. Personal reminders often register easier than a digital notification. Reminders can be scheduled for personal or business appointments. An example is a reminder to leave early to attend a school function for the children.

Better Organization
Working with virtual receptionists and assistants helps organize the flow of your business and helps reduce your personal stress level. With a bit more time to take care of important business matters, get caught up on reports or just take a little time off, the joy of running a business returns. You’ll feel less frustration and confusion along with having a less hectic day.

The benefits of using these services vastly outweigh the added business expense. With more efficiency and organization in place, the cost easily pays for itself. One of the benefits of working in this industry as a service provider is being able to work with multiple clients at one time. Working with multiple clients in a single day helps maintain a full-time schedule.

For people who are invested in making sure that their properties just shine, it makes sense to call in a handyman, but have you ever stopped to consider what a handyman might be able to really do for you? As you look around for a handyman for Joondalup apartments or Perth office buildings, you will quickly see that there is a lot for you to consider. Make sure that you know what a handyman can do, and to make sure that you are taking full advantage of this service.

Office Renovation Help
How much easier would an extra set of hands be when you are looking at renovating your office? Don’t waste your contractor’s time by having them do every little task. Delegate, and you will find that office renovation for your Perth location will never be easier.

Gutter Services
Don’t wait until your gutters look horrible before you get them cleaned. Too many people put off this service and then have to hire a professional firm. Instead, why not take the time hire a handyman who can keep the gutters clean all year round? When it comes to gutter cleaning in Perth, a steady handyman has what you are looking for.

Property Management Made Easy
Isn’t it time you stopped worrying about whether you really needed collect that rent or paint that new office? Aren’t you tired of having to call someone in for every little chore? That is why when you are looking for property maintenance for your Perth location, you should get a handyman, who is capable of being on site and taking care of things whenever you need him to.

Building Maintenance
Remember that when you are looking for building maintenance in Perth that you must be willing to find someone who can be there and be great at the job. Building maintenance is no trivial chore, but when you have someone there all the time and ready to take care of things on a regular basis, things get a lot easier!

As you realize more and more that a good handyman is good for all kinds of tasks around the building, take a moment to consider Men Behaving Handy. As one of the most respected and trusted services in the area, they have the experience to do almost anything that you need, whenever you need it. Never be short a solution again when you decide to take on a good handyman!