6 Important Cybersecurity Lessons For Small Businesses

Jul29

We live in an increasingly digital world. Every year brings new technological advancements, more advanced IT security systems, and more sophisticated cyber threats.

It’s more important now than ever before to be aware of these threats and how to protect yourself against them. This is especially true if you’re a business owner, as the future of your company could depend on it.

With that in mind, here are 6 important cybersecurity lessons for small businesses.

1. Watch out for malware

Malware is probably the biggest threat to your network security. Malware is malicious software that infects and compromises your IT systems, allowing hackers to potentially access important or confidential business data.

There are many ways that malware can become installed on your business IT systems, but one of the most common ways is via dubious downloads. Make sure your staff are aware of these risks and avoid downloading anything from unfamiliar sources – particularly email attachments.

2. Be wary of email links

One of the most common ways malware finds it way into your IT systems is through email. Often, hackers will send ‘phishing emails’ with links that seem to point to legitimate websites but in reality direct you to a dangerous website. As soon as you click them, your system is compromised. Always check where links point to before you click them by hovering over them first, and never click a link you don’t recognize.

3. Backup your data

Losing data due to a cyber attack can be costly. Make sure you back up all important data to protect yourself from this threat. Follow the 3-2-1 rule by making 3 copies, storing 2 of them on different media forms, and 1 of them physically off-site (such as on a USB stick in a secure facility).

4. Set up multi-factor authentication

Multi-factor authentication means installing a separate layer of security so that if your password is compromised, the hacker still needs to go through an additional step, such as text authentication. It’s a simple step, but an important one. Of course, it’s better if they never get to the second step, which brings us onto the fifth tip.

5. Have robust passwords

Always use robust, unique passwords. Ideally, your password will be a mixture of letters, numbers, and characters and be as long as possible. You should also make sure to use a different password for all your online accounts. That way, if one password is ever compromised, it won’t put all your other accounts and IT systems at risk.

6. Don’t try and do it alone

Finally, don’t try and handle cybersecurity alone. Businesses need professional help to make sure they have robust IT systems and data protection in place. If you haven’t already done so, make sure you consult an IT support company and take out an IT support package.

It might seem like a costly investment, but it won’t be nearly as costly as a cybersecurity breach could be in the future.

Top Ways to Keep Your Teeth Healthy

Jul26

Simply brushing your teeth every day is not enough to achieve healthy teeth. It takes a lifetime of care. Apart from opting for the right treatments at the right time, it is also important that you use the right oral-care products that can help you take care of your teeth and prevent any kind of problems in the future.

Here are a few things you need to include in your routine, if you want healthy teeth at all times:

Always brush your teeth before going to bed

All of us know that it is important to brush teeth at least twice a day; yet most of us avoid brushing our teeth before going to bed. If you want to keep away the germs that kill your teeth and prevent the accumulation of plaque, you will have to brush your teeth every day before going to bed.

Brush properly

How you brush your teeth is more important than how many times you brush. Keep aside some time for brushing your teeth every day. Move your tooth brush gently in circular motions, taking care to remove plaque. Left unremoved, it can harden and lead to buildup of calculus. In the long run this can also turn into gingivitis (early gum disease).

Clean your tongue regularly

It is not just your teeth that accumulate plaque. It can build up on your tongue too. Left unremoved, this can lead to bad mouth odor, giving rise to even more oral health problems. All that you need to do is brush your tongue gently every time you brush your teeth.

Make sure your toothpaste has fluoride

Whitening power and flavor is what most people look into while buying toothpaste. But one of the most important elements that you should look for, in toothpaste, is fluoride. Fluoride fights germs that lead to decay and provides a protective barrier for your teeth. It is the best defense you can get against tooth decay.

Flossing is as important as brushing

Flossing is something most of us ignore when it comes to maintaining oral health. According to Dentaldorks.com, flossing goes much beyond getting rid of the food stuck between your teeth. It reduces plaque, stimulates your gums, and lowers the inflammation in the area. You have to make it a point to floss once a day if you want to reap these benefits. Young children and older adults might find it difficult to do flossing. But there are many ready-to-use dental flossers that you can use to make your job easier.

There are a few more things you can do to keep your teeth healthy. While eating crunchy fruits and vegetables is one of them, it is also important for you to drink water after every meal. Cut down on acidic and sugary foods and visit your dentist regularly.

5 Tips for Staying Focused

Jul25

Staying focused is never easy, but it’s a fact that some people are much better at focusing than others. If you’re the kind of person that can’t stay focused on their tasks or their life goals, it can be really frustrating, but there are lots of things you can do to change this. This article contains five tips that can help you to learn how to stay focused and work towards your goals.

1. Set Short-term Goals

Goal setting is something that everybody does, but a lot of people make the mistake of setting goals that are too far in the future. Perhaps you want to save for a house or go on a holiday, but if these things are months or even years away, you’ll probably find that it’s very difficult to stay goal-focused and keep moving in the right direction. In order to stay focused, set short term goals, or mini-milestones, to remind yourself that you’re still on track towards your goals.

2. Remove Distractions

If you’re the kind of person that finds it hard to stay on task and get distracted easily, then this tip is for you. When you’re trying to get some work done or achieve something specific in your day, try to remove things that will distract you. Trying to work at home can often be hard because you’re surrounded by things like the TV or the internet that can easily leave you astray. Instead, you should put yourself in an environment such as a library or a quiet cafe, where you don’t have access to your usual distractions. If you do this, it’s much more likely that you’ll stay focused and get your work done.

3. Go to Bed on Time

In order to focus, your brain needs time to rest and recuperate. Whether you’re trying to focus on a daily task or your working towards a long term goal, getting enough sleep can help you to stay on the right track. If you really want to get into a good sleeping pattern, begin winding down 30 or 40 minutes before your ideal sleep time. Try taking a relaxing bath and read a book. If you’re relaxed before bed, it’s more likely that you will drift off soundly and have a full night of the REM sleep that your brain requires.

4. Share Your Goals

Sometimes, telling others about your goals can help you to stay more focused. For example, if you have a long term goal to save money, then sharing this information with your friends and family could help you to feel more accountable. If other people know that you aren’t staying on track with your goals, it could give you the added motivation you need to keep working towards them.

5. Meditate

In a lot of cases, people find it hard to stay focused because there are simply too many things going on in their lives. If you’re struggling to manage your day to day stresses and stay on track towards your daily and long term goals, meditation could help. It can help you to manage your emotions and learn to relax and stay focused, even when it feels like things are getting on top of you.

5 Reasons To Switch Over to VoIP Business Phone Service

Jul24

If you’re a business owner and you don’t know about VoIP systems yet, you should, so here’s the rundown. VoIP stands for voice over IP. VoIP phone systems are just like traditional phone systems, except that they connect your calls over the internet rather than a traditional phone network.

What’s so great about that, you ask? Well, it turns out that they have a ton of benefits over traditional phone systems that could dramatically improve your bottom line. If you’re still relying on a traditional phone system, you’re missing out on an opportunity to save money. Here are 5 reasons why:

1. Quick Installation

VoIP phone systems take all the hassle out of installation. You don’t need to pay for someone to come and wire your office. Instead, you can just pay for hosted VoIP software and quickly set up and configure your own web portal. You don’t need any hardware except for IP phones and it can all be set up over your browser. It’s super easy, even for those with little to no technical knowledge.

2. Inexpensive

VoIP phone systems also often make more economic sense, particularly if you’ll be making frequent international calls. Call rates on traditional network phone lines can be expensive, but as VoIP phone systems connect through your data package, it often works out much cheaper. Plus, you don’t have to pay for all the hardware and installation costs that come with traditional phone systems either.

3. Easier to Scale

If you’re a small, growing business, a VoIP phone system will scale with you. Every time you add a new employee, you don’t need to install a separate phone line. Instead, you just log onto your web portal and add a new user. It’s as easy as that.

4. Flexible arrangements

As VoIP phone systems are all based over the internet, it’s a very flexible arrangement. If your employees travel around a lot for work, their work numbers will travel with them.

5. Call Tracking Data

Last but not least, let’s talk about call tracking data. This is probably the single biggest advantage to using a business VoIP phone system. Most VoIP systems – even the most basic packages – come with built-in call tracking. This means that you get easy access to important data about where your calls and coming from and why.

The upshot of having these call tracking statistics at your fingertips is that it allows you to make better business marketing decisions. Think about it: if you know that one of your local ads is only bringing you in a handful of calls per month, and none of those calls are converting to sales, you’ll know that it might be better to divert those marketing funds to something with a better ROI. A VoIP business phone service with call tracking will show you that and much more.

There you have it – 5 reasons to switch over to a VoIP phone service. Good luck!

Japan’s Tourism Boom: Why So Many Tourists are Flocking to the Country

Jul24

Japan is in the midst of a shocking and unprecedented tourism boom. In 2008, they set a target of reaching 20 million annual tourists by 2020. They hit that goal 5 years ahead of schedule in 2015.

By 2017, they’d already exceeded their goal by more than 8 million, when 28.7 million tourists visited the country. To put that into perspective, that’s around double the number of tourists that visited just 4 years earlier in 2013 (10.4 million). This tourism growth rate is one of the highest in the world.

Since then, Japan has set itself a more ambitious goal. They’ve doubled their initial target and now hope to reach 40 million tourists by 2020. They’ve also made plans to focus more on the tourism market outside of Asia, as most of their annual visitors come from neighboring countries like China.

So, what’s driving this incredible tourism boom? And why is the Japanese government so keen to increase tourism? Let’s find out.

What’s Driving Tourism to Japan?

Here are three things driving tourism in Japan:

Relaxed Visa Requirements

One of the main factors driving the tourism boom relates to visa requirements. As part of its efforts to boost tourism, the Japanese government made Japan more accessible by relaxing visa requirements. Chinese tourists, in particular, now find it much easier to access tourists visas.

Tokyo Olympics

The Olympics will take place in Tokyo in 2020. This has provided plenty of international media coverage for Japan ahead of the event, and lead to increased visitor numbers. Japan hopes to capitalize on the Olympics even more next year as even more tourists flock to the country to experience the event.

Influencer Marketing

Japan’s tourism board has been working closely with influencers as part of its tourism marketing campaign. YouTubers, social media stars, advertisers, and bloggers have been publishing marketing content that shows off the country in its best light for hundreds of years.

Investment in the Tourism Industry

Japan is becoming a more attractive holiday destination for many tourists due to the diverse,rich, and unique cultural experiences on offer in the country.

There are plenty of things to do in Tokyo, from the iconic ‘hanami’ (cherry blossom festival),where visitors can witness the beautiful spring colors; to cutting-edge experiences like the ‘Robot restaurant’, where tourists can dine in style and witness a bizarrely entertaining show,complete with giant robots.

As investment in the tourism industry continues to grow, more and more small businesses are popping up to add to this list of exciting things to do. Tourists are never short of choice when it comes to amazing dining experiences, hotels, tours, and events. Visitors can easily find a list of these exciting things to do on sites like https://metatrip.com/top-things-to-do/tokyo.

How to Get Glowing Skin for Summer Season

Jul23

Your skin needs extra attention at ALL TIMES! When summer season sets in, it can make you sweat and the sun could damage your skin in a number of ways. In order to get glowing skin, you must follow a beauty regime. Every woman in this world deserves to feel fresh and flaunt naturally glowing skin. The good news is that it is quite simple to get the glow! Here’s a quick post that talks about the ways to get glowing skin for summer season.

The Best Natural Ingredients For Happy Glowing Skin

The skin is fragile and applying chemical-induced products can cause a lot more damage. When you are exposed to the sun and harmful rays, your skin may turn dark and dirt/excessive oils could cause pimples.

Let’s start with natural ingredients!

Turmeric and Gram Flour – Mix turmeric and gram flour with rose water or milk. Make a thick paste and apply it on your face. Leave it for 20 minutes and wash it off. Gently pat dry and see the difference! You can use it twice-thrice in a week.
Lemon and Sugar – You do not have to make a lemonade! Mix lemon juice and sugar. Use this solution as a scrub on your face. Leave it for 5-10 minutes. Rinse it off with warm water. Lemon is used as a skin-lightening ingredient. You will find it in most of the skin-lightening skin products. The sugar helps in removing the dirt and dead cells.
Yogurt and Cucumber – Simply grate the whole cucumber and mix it with yogurt. Apply it on your neck and face. Leave it for 5-10 minutes and wash it off. Cucumber is used for providing a cooling effect and it also rejuvenates your skin. This will also reduce the swelling and help you feel fresh all day long. You can use it twice in a week.
Rose water – You can soak rose petals in water and keep it in the fridge overnight. It will be better if the rose water has the goodness of aloe vera and witch hazel. Use a cotton ball to dab the rose water deep into your skin. You can also use the sprayer and then dab with a cotton ball.
Aloe Vera – Aloe vera is a natural ingredient that is excellent for your skin. People usually use it for burns and cuts. It leaves a cooling effect! You could buy an aloe vera mask or use fresh aloe vera for making a mask for your face. You can mix aloe vera with honey, milk and turmeric. Apply it on your skin and leave it for 10 minutes. Wash it with warm water and you will notice that the skin gets brighter.

Takeaway Advice

In summer season, you love to dress up and look fresh. With the above-mentioned home remedies, you can get glowing skin without shelling out a lot of money. Bid adieu to chemical-induced products. Also, stay hydrated and invest in natural products from reputed brand.

Make sure you get enough sleep and use all-natural ingredients to take care of your skin. Summer heat can be harsh and so, you must stay fresh all day long!

6 Easy Ways to Create a Healthy Workplace Environment

Jul13

Workplace environment has a lot to do with the productivity of your employees. A healthy workplace leads to happier and healthier employees, which means improved quality of work, better retention, low absenteeism, and happier clients. Here are a few tried and tested ways designed to create a healthy and positive workplace environment:

#1. Focus on promoting wellness

Providing health insurance and health benefits to your employees may not be enough to keep them healthy. You should also take steps to ensure their overall wellbeing. Provide them best possible office stationery and so that they can focus better on their work. Put up a few exercise equipment and encourage your employees to use them every once in a while. Have weekly yoga or aerobic sessions either before or after work.

#2. Engage with your employees individually

Every employee is different in a workplace. What motivates one may not necessarily motivate another. In order to find out what motivates each of your employees you will have to get to know them on an individual level. Encourage them to discuss their issues with you. Suggest solutions to maximize their productivity. Monitor their performance regularly and reward them whenever they do well.

#3. Implement a fair employment policy

Treating every employee equally is crucial when it comes to maintaining a balance in your workplace. Implement policies and procedures for everyone to follow. Make sure every employee takes these seriously, irrespective of their designation or position.

#4. Organize team building activities

Team building activities can be best for motivating employees and improving the bonding amongst them. Keep in mind the interests of each and every employee while coming up with such activities.

#5. Allow quick breaks in between work

Working continuously will not only stress out your employees it will also impact their productivity negatively. Encourage them to take small breaks whenever they need. You can also put up apps on their systems to remind them to take these breaks.

#6. Make sure the workplace is clean and comfortable

Providing a clean workplace environment is crucial if you want to keep your employees healthy, happy, and comfortable. Hire a professional office cleaning service to keep your office dirt-free and hygienic. Invest in some comfortable furniture and work equipment. Add in a couple more lights to make the place look brighter.

You don’t have to spend too much of money to create a healthy workplace environment. All it requires is a change of mindset. Make sure you always think about the welfare of your employees. After all healthy and happy employees are the ones that make great companies.

Why Should You Hire a Realtor for Selling Your House?

Jul8

With all the information so easily accessible because of the internet, people can easily learn the things they are supposed to do before selling their house. That’s what makes them think if they really even need a realtor or not. But selling a home takes time, research, negotiating skills and knowledge and this is why even though some people do fine by themselves, many do not. Here’s why you should find yourself a realtor before putting your house on sale.

Experience

The house that you want to sell is most probably your very first step in the field of real estate and that’s why what realtor brings to the table is his experience in the housing market that he has attained after being in the business for years. Although that experience will cost you some money but you again you will not have to do any work on it. You can just sit back and relax and let the realtor do all the work, which he will do efficiently because he knows what he’s doing.

Familiarity and knowledge of the neighbourhood

A real estate agent has an intimate knowledge of the house and he knows how to use to it to his (and that means yours) advantage. He is well aware of the fact and the data on demographics and thus makes the thing more professional.

Marketing Skills

A good real estate agent will market your house persuasively. He will make the place look really good, he will narrow down the list of perspective buyers as he will be able to match their needs with your demands and get you a sweet deal for the house. The good thing about this is that you will not have to waste your time because an agent will approach serious buyers.

Negotiation Skills

A real estate agent has some professional skills when it comes to negotiation and he can get you a good deal with that. They take a practical approach towards negotiation and unlike the buyers and sellers can eliminate any emotional aspect from it.

Leave the paperwork to them

The paperwork related to housing can beyond ten pages and who wants to deal with that when you are not even familiar with the jargon of the housing market? A tiny mistake can cost you a lot of money and can even land you in court. So it is better to leave something like this to a professional.

Things You Should Know Before Seeing a Chiropractor

Jul5

Doctors of Chiropractic Medicine (DCs) are healthcare professionals who have completed extensive schooling and ongoing training, including passing four national board exams, as well as a state licensing exam. Chiropractors are not Medical Doctors (MDs) though they study many of the same premedical subjects to earn their certification; they do not prescribe medication or perform surgery, instead specializing in the treatment of neuromuscular disorders and injuries through the use of controlled force.

What does a Chiropractor do?

Chiropractors provide a number of services including comprehensive patient examinations and the pain relieving adjustments they are best known for, but their practices extend far beyond that. Common additional therapies include hot and cold treatments, soft tissue massage, electrical muscle stimulation, prescribed exercise regimens, and dietary counseling.

Do I need a Doctor’s referral to see a Chiropractor?

You do not require a Doctor’s referral to see a Chiropractor, in fact, if you are experiencing joint pain or persistent aches in your neck or back it is recommended that you consult with a Chiropractor right away. However, if your pain levels are severe, consider visiting your regular Doctor anyways as they can provide you with pain relibackfef medication that your Chiropractor cannot.

What will happen at my first appointment?

At your first Chiropractic appointment you will be given paperwork to fill out describing your medical history and explaining the reason for your visit, a more in depth history will later be taken by your Chiropractor detailing your regular activities and anything that may be relevant to your injury. You will then receive a comprehensive full body exam, including orthopedic tests and evaluating your active range of motion. Your Chiropractor may request x-rays based on your initial exam which will allow them more insight into your problem, enabling them to diagnose the issue and move forward with treatment if appropriate. If there are no concerns that prevent them from doing so, you may receive your first or multiple adjustments at this appointment.

What happens during an adjustment?

There are several types of adjustments though most involve similar techniques, if you have questions specific to your treatment, you should ask your Chiropractor before you begin. A typical adjustment will take around 10 minutes and involve your Chiropractor using their hands to apply short but firm bursts of pressure to the affected or referring area of your body. You will likely hear a popping or crunching sound immediately following the application of pressure, this is not cause for alarm, and is actually a sign that the treatment is working. The noise is created by joint cavitation, which is gas being released between your joints and relieving pressure, it is the same thing that happens when you crack your knuckles. After the adjustment, many patients feel an immediate relief.

Is getting an adjustment painful?

Adjustments are not typically painful, however first time patients may experience some slight muscle aches in the day following their treatment, as spasmed muscles return to their natural relaxed state. Warm baths and gentle stretching can help alleviate this ache.

Are You Ready to Cut the Cable Cord? Tips to Make the Transition Easier

Jul4

If you have been watching channels on your cable TV connection for years, then the decision to cut the cable cord and switch to streaming services can really be big. Cable TV must have become your comfort zone and getting out of it after these many years and moving to an unknown streaming territory may be an overwhelming feeling.

Just to make your transition easier, we have listed a few tips below;

Cable TV and Streaming Services are Not Mutually Exclusive:

It is not necessary to opt for streaming services; you should cut off your cable. Subscribe to a streaming service, most of them offer a one-month free subscription. Test your waters and try to become comfortable watching streaming services, frankly, there is nothing to hate about it as it a brilliant way to keep you entertained. This trial phase will help you get used to watching streaming services and your cable TV can also be watched along so that you feel comfortable through the transition.

Reduce Your Cable TV Package:

Many cable TV services let you choose channels and only pay for the ones you want to watch just to compete with satellite TV. Make use of this feature and start reducing the channels you do not need to watch. This way, you will be able to afford to subscribe to streaming services.

Experiment by Pausing Your Cable TV Subscription:

The next step would be to call your operator to pause your subscription for a month just to experience how you feel about absolutely no cable TV and only watching streaming services. Most probably you will get so hooked on to streaming services that you may not miss your cable TV at all but if you do, then you can always turn it back on.

Consider What Your Family Feels:

Getting rid of cable TV cannot be your individual decision if you are living with a family. You need to ask individually everyone in your family about how they feel if you decided to cut off cable TV. They may not be as ready as you are to cut the cords then you just will have to wait for them to be prepared for the transition. Also, make sure to check the number of users that can access the streaming service you are opting for as a few do not allow multiple users and you will have to buy an individual subscription. Consider and compare the costings as well before making a decision.

Choose Streaming Services that Also Stream TV channels:

There are streaming services which streams video on demand as well as TV channels hence by subscribing to such a service, you will not miss your cable TV as well as you can enjoy the benefits of streaming. Opting to get an IPTV subscription can let you enjoy the perks of both TV channels as well as VOD (Video on Demand) on all your smart devices. You need not worry anymore about missing your favorite news broadcast or watching live sports anymore.

Most people get used to streaming services quite soon and do really miss cable TV, but if you feel that streaming service is not your cup of tea then you can always go back to your old cable TV until you are ready for the shift.