The Case for Crowdsourcing Projects as a Business

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Is your business struggling to come up with a new idea or innovation to solve the latest industry challenge? If you’re not too proud to admit defeat and seek inspiration and ideas from elsewhere, you might find that crowdsourcing is a breakthrough concept that can help you to break new ground and potentially disrupt a market.

The concept of crowdsourcing dates back to 2005, when Wired magazine journalists, Mark Robinson and Jeff Howe, coined the phrase. Companies such as Qmarkets have since developed industry-leading crowdsourcing services for corporate clients that give firms a chance to engage and incentivize large groups of people – be it fellow professionals or customers – to tackle unique business challenges. The roots of crowdsourcing can be traced as far back as the early 18th century, when the British government sought help from members of the public to develop the best way to measure a ship’s longitudinal position. A cash sum was offered as an incentive.

Does your business suffer “blindness” to problems relating to your operations and its industry as a whole? If you can’t see the wood for the trees, here are three reasons why crowdsourcing innovation can help take your brand to the next level.

StrategyDriven Tactical Execution Article | The Case for Crowdsourcing Projects as a Business
 
Get a fresh perspective

When you live and breathe a business 24/7, it’s all too easy to become all-consumed by the day-to-day “grind”. You might have your own vision for how a project should go, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best possible vision for your business. By crowdsourcing a business project among colleagues and even external contractors, it’s possible to get lots of minds and ideas around the table at once that often go unheard.

The saying that “two heads are better than one” has never been truer when it comes to crowdsourcing. It’s a chance to free your colleagues and other professionals from the shackles, giving them complete freedom to think as creatively as they want. In doing so, you’ll also maximize the number of options you have, rather than forging ahead with an idea just because it’s your only idea.

StrategyDriven Tactical Execution Article | The Case for Crowdsourcing Projects as a Business
 
Retain a firm handle on your overheads

Crowdsourcing is rapidly growing in terms of popularity among business owners because it’s proven to be a cost-effective option for idea generation. In reality, the time it takes to sit colleagues down, brainstorm, validate ideas and put them into action is often hugely underestimated. By seeking external input from the “crowd” it can actually help to lower the overall cost of your innovation project, cutting the time it takes to reach your end goal(s) and only paying for the insight and ideas that you use.

Engage your customers and build trust

Another form of crowdsourcing for growing businesses is to utilize customer feedback. Businesses that are looking to build long-term, trusted relationships with consumers are increasingly inviting valued clients to get involved with the idea generation process, helping them to feel like they are making a difference. Ultimately, these people are the ones you’re targeting your products and services to. They should know the problems your target demographic is experiencing and the best way to solve them. Crowdsourced innovation shouldn’t be viewed as a one-way street though. Ensuring your customers are engaged and rewarded will help to ensure sound, worthwhile knowledge-sharing.

Why You Should Consider Outsourcing for Your Business

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The key to working harder is to work smarter. Your business depends on you being able to do what you do best without being bogged down by the day to day tasks that can take up some time. Running your business automatically means you have a lot on your plate to manage meaning multi-tasking is the name of the game.

StrategyDriven Tactical Execution Article | Why You Should Consider Outsourcing for Your Business

But when it comes to the task in hand, you want to make sure your time and focus is where it needs to be and you aren’t tied up with tasks that take up too much of your day and pulling your attention elsewhere.

This is where outsourcing comes in. Regardless of if you have a team working with you or not, there are many advantages in hiring a third party to take care of tasks for you so you know you are getting the job done and done well. So what should you be looking at outsourcing?

Employees.

More specifically, the hiring of employees. you need to make sure you have the right people for your company, however, if you don’t have the time or expertise in interviewing and sifting through CVs, you may find outsourcing this task to a reputable company such as Checkr could be beneficial to you and your business.

Social Media

There is no denying that social is a huge marketing tool for almost every business. That being said, it takes up a vast amount of time to promote your business and create content to attract and engage potential customers across many different platforms. Hiring outside of your company means that not only do you not have to train a staff member or create a department to take from this for you, but you benefit from qualified professionals to be able to manage all of the content creation and promotion too.

Technology Services.

It can be expensive to make sure you are up to date with the latest technology services available. Even more expensive to keep a member of staff on-site to deal with any issues. Taking up a managed technology services package from an industry expert is one less thing you have to worry about maintaining for your business. Take advantage of their expertise and knowledge to keep you up and running at all times and not just when something goes wrong.

Administration

Think of replying to emails, following up on leads, enquires to scout for new business. Maybe you need business meetings transcribing or notes inputting into online files. All of this is something you could potentially hire a Virtual Assistant for.

Virtual Assistant work from remote locations and each one has a different set of skills. Once you find someone who can benefit your company you can work out a package that benefits you and your business with this then freeing your time to focus on areas you need to.

These are just a few areas where you can work smarter to help grow your business and meet your growing demands without pulling yourself in too many directions.

Industrial Generator Sizing: How to Measure Your Place of business for the Right Generator

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StrategyDriven Tactical Execution Article | Industrial Generator Sizing: How to Measure Your Place of business for the Right GeneratorBefore you choose a generator for your place of business, you have to measure the building to buy the right one. Learn about industrial generator sizing here. Power outages are one of the most common reasons businesses experience interruption-related loss. Claims of this type have totaled more than $5 billion. If you live in an area where there are storms of any kind, then you are at risk for this type of loss. It is easily preventable, though. All you need is a generator. But you can’t buy just any generator. You need to buy the right one that is big enough to run your business. Use this guide on industrial generator sizing to help you with your purchase.

Size

Before you start shopping for a generator, you need to know what you want to power. This will help you determine what size generator you need.

Factoring Size

You can determine the size you need by calculating the voltage of all of the electronics you wish to power. Then you can figure out the total voltage you need to power everything.

Make a list of everything that needs power. Now note on your list the starting and running wattage requirements for each item. Calculate your total need.
You should be able to find these requirements in the owner’s manual or on a metal plate affixed to the unit. Occasionally you will find amps instead of watts.

You can use this formula to convert them.

  • Reactive load: (amps x volts) x load factor= wattage
  • Resistance load: Amps x volts = wattage

You need to know both the starting and running demand to ensure you buy a generator that can handle these two different types of needs.

Single or Three-Phase

You will also need to decide if you need a single or three-phase generator. The power that comes out of the generator is the same as your home electrical outlets. The power travels in a wave pattern.

A single-phase generator has a single output of fluctuating wave where the power goes up and down. A three-phase generator uses three different waves. They are slightly out of sync so that the generator is always at peak power.

If you need to power basic office electronics, then you’re probably okay with a single-phase generator.If you need to power large equipment or machinery, then you will do better with a three-phase generator.

Noise Level

Think about where you plan to place your generator. Generators can be loud, and it will disrupt your work if you put it too close to your office. You should also consider any noise ordinances.

As a general rule, the larger the generator, the more noise it will produce.

Budget

Our guide wouldn’t be complete without a section on budget. Determine what you can afford and stick to it.

Keep in mind that this unit will save you thousands in losses from power outages. You should also consider the growth of your business. You don’t want to invest in a barely big enough generator that you will outgrow in a year or two.

Bellwood Rewinds has plenty of options so you can find the perfect generator for your business.

Know Your Industrial Generator Sizing

Now that you know the basics of industrial generator sizing, you are ready to start shopping for your generator. Remember, you need a generator that will power your electronics during both starting and running.

You can narrow down your search by focusing on generators that are within your budget.

Be sure to read our insights section for more advice on running a successful business.

4 Tips To Running A Successful Hotel

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StrategyDriven Tactical Execution Article |Running a Hotel|4 Tips To Running A Successful HotelA hotel can offer a lucrative and rewarding business venture, but it is crucial that you take the right steps to ensure that your business grows and becomes a success. With this in mind, here are four tips to running a successful hotel.

1. Choose the right location

The location of your hotel will have a significant impact on its success. Typically, hotels in busy city centers or near major transport hubs tend to get the most business. However, you should keep in mind that competition in these areas will be higher than more remote locations. You should also consider the fact that hotels located in major cities can typically charge much higher rates. For instance, according to kayak.co.uk, London hotels charge an average of £144 per night on weekdays and £161 on weekends. London is, therefore, a highly sought-after location for all businesses, including hotels. You can check out London property news to help you stay up to date on the current property market and trends in the capital.

2. Offer perceived value

The hotel industry is highly competitive, so value and perceived value is crucial. It doesn’t mean that you have to undercut your competition or offer ridiculously low rates; there are plenty of ways to give your guests the perception of better value without lowering your revenue. Value-added extras can be a fantastic way to entice guests. For instance, providing food packages like free breakfast will make your guests feel like they’re getting more for their money. You can also bring value through outstanding customer service, vouchers to nearby attractions, free parking, and so on.

3. Focus on customer service

Keep in mind that customer reviews can make or break a hotel. Most people now consider customer feedback a significant deciding factor when choosing a hotel, and this information is readily available on all major booking sites like booking.com and Agoda. For that reason, it is vital that you focus on customer service and provide every guest with the best experience possible. Remember that issues and complaints will occur in every business from time to time; the important thing is that these are dealt with swiftly and effectively to ensure the best outcome possible. Personal touches and outstanding service will help encourage guests to leave positive reviews. There are many tips you can use to improve customer services in your hotel, such as creating an incredible experience before your guests even arrive.

4. Know your target audience

In the hotel industry, it is important to know your target audience and have a clear idea about the type of service you will be offering guests. Do you want to provide luxury accommodation for high-end customers, budget accommodation for travelers, or do you want to focus on providing family-friendly accommodation? Make sure that you understand your target audience so you can design effective marketing strategies and cater your service to your likely customers. For instance, if you are running a mid-price hotel near a busy transport hub and the majority of your guests are business professionals, then you should consider offering things like fast Wi-Fi and desks in all rooms, as well as a work area in the lobby.

Tech Talk: Server Types

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StrategyDriven Tactical Execution Article |Rack Servers|Tech Talk: Server TypesWhen it comes to the world of data centres there is one clear battle emerging and this is between rack servers and blade servers. Unfortunately there is no evident winner when it comes to selecting between the two. There are evident advantages and disadvantages associated with both options and it largely depends on you and your requirements.

So, let’s begin by defining what each type of server is…

Rack servers – A rack server is often also referred to as a rack mount server. In essence, it is a standard sized network that has been designed so that it can be mounted to rack frame infrastructure or a data centre server cabinet.
Blade servers – A blade server is often described as a stripped down version of the former. This type of server is absent of an array of components found within standard rack servers.

By merely assessing the definitions of both options you have probably already picked up on one main advantage a blade server has over a standard rack server. This is the fact that it makes much better utilisation of space. Data centres using blade servers have the possibility to reach optimal efficiency on this front. You can find more information on this website about the sort of tech businesses that have these key decisions to make.

Nevertheless, one of the main disadvantages associated with blade servers is that the start-up costs are a lot larger in comparison to other options. This can present a significant problem for businesses who are just starting up and therefore do not have the luxury of a large budget. The reason why blade servers tend to cost more in the beginning is because you will require some initial infrastructure which is not needed with any other type of server, such as the chassis.

Another issue a lot of people have noted is that blade servers are somewhat limited when it comes to I/O expansion options. This is because there is a lack of expansion slots. This expansion limitation is also represented in terms of disk drives (most are limited to two or four internal hard drives) and PCI/PCI Express slots. You don’t experience any of these issues when it comes to rack servers as they are very expandable.

However, one problem which does come your way if you opt for rack servers is cable management. It can be somewhat tricky to keep everything organised because you will have a wealth of different cables to keep under control. There are lots of products available for cable management to help you with this. But when it comes to blade servers the confusion and clutter is minimised substantially.

Finally, another advantage associated with blade servers is the fact that easier integration can be possible because of the fact that a blade enclosure utilises a single power supply. This of course further represents efficiency in terms of power usage. You may find that you have an opportunity to lower your costs and even improve your data centre in terms of eco-friendliness.

It is quite easy to see that there are pros and cons associated with both rack servers and blade servers. The decision you make all depends on your data centre requirements and what is more important to you. For instance, if space is a massive issue then you will more than likely want to go for blade servers.