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Air Safety Tips to Adhere to While Taking a Flight

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StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article |Air Safety Tips|Air Safety Tips to Adhere to While Taking a FlightRemember the times when you took a flight to your hometown or to Thailand for a long vacation? And remember all the air safety instructions that you were given on board or at the airport, the ones that you never thought of paying much attention to? They are quite important to pay heed to. It might not occur to you, but if you happen to find yourself in a situation where you are in immediate danger while flying or while you are within the confines of the airport, you shall understand the importance of these instructions. But it might have been too late by then.

Therefore, make sure that you are aware of what is happening around you so that in times of imminent danger, you do not lose your cool or act in a way that would only aggravate the situation. We have discussed a few points that you must keep playing at the back of your mind while you are on your way to catch that flight, so that you can be safe and sound. Awareness is the key to getting out of any tricky situation. Therefore, do not throw caution to the air (no puns intended); instead, pay attention to every detail around you and the instructions given to you.

The 3-1-1 Liquid Rule:

Not many of us know what the 3-1-1 Liquid protocol is. But it would be great if you did. You could save yourself from the hassles of packing unnecessary liquid items in your on board baggage. Because, according to the rule, you are only allowed a certain amount of liquid that you can carry on board. Anything that falls beyond the limit of the rule shall have to be discarded before you take the flight. Thus, there is no point in increasing your baggage when you cannot even take them through.

According to the 3-1-1 rule, you can only carry any liquid up to the measurement of 3.4 ounces in 1 plastic container, and each passenger is allowed only 1 plastic bag. This rule was made so that there is no spillage of fluids in the fluid while the plane is in air. Violating the rule can not only prevent you from taking the flight but could also put the lives of your co-passengers at risk.

The Briefing of Instructions by Flight Attendants:

Most of us would tend to put in earplugs or not pay attention to the instructions given by the flight attendants by chattering away with our co-passengers. We feel like we know everything already, and a feeling of invincibility takes over us. But you could not have been more wrong. Human brains are amazing but not all-encompassing. You might forget the details, and therefore, it is always advisable to listen to instructions each time you take a flight.

Thus, the next time you search or book flights with Jettly.com, acknowledge that you have a greater in-flight responsibility waiting for you, and that is of being aware.

Be Aware of Your Location:

You cannot just sit quietly with your seatbelts on (always have your seatbelts on) and think about landing. Of course, you will land where you are supposed to. But this should not make way for ignorance. You must always keep your ears open to the announcements being made by the pilot and understand your exact location. This will only enhance your knowledge and contribute to your safety.

Conclusion:

Being unaware of what you are signing-up for can lead to disasters and traumas of a lifetime. Therefore, it is essential to have holistic information about whatever it is that you are taking up, even if it is something as simple as taking a flight. This is for you own safety; do not roll a dice over it!

The Dos And Don’ts Of Automation In Business

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Automation in Business|The Dos And Don’ts Of Automation In BusinessAutomation involves using robots and software to take care of tasks. In recent years, it’s become a popular way of improving efficiency in business – by no longer having to manually complete tasks, you can free up a lot of time and energy. Most tasks nowadays can be automated. However, just because you can automate every task doesn’t mean you should automate every task. There are still some processes that benefit from a human touch and automating them could do more harm than good. To help you determine when you should use automation, here are a few dos and don’ts.

Do automate long, repetitive tasks

Long and repetitive tasks can be tedious. These are the types of tasks that are perfect for automation. Robots are able to handle long, repetitive tasks for hours if not days. They won’t get tired and won’t lose concentration like humans (which leads onto the next point of precision).

Do automate tasks that require constant precision

Humans aren’t able to offer the reliable constant precision that machines can. If you’re mass producing a product and need to apply a specific amount of glue to a specific spot, it could be worth looking into automated dispensing technology to do this task. Automation could also be useful for tasks that require precise calculations such as working out complex scientific formulas.

Do automate dangerous tasks

Some tasks could be particularly dangerous. Putting them in the hands of a robot could save you or your employees from getting harmed. Robots are already used to assess burning buildings, clean up nuclear sites, dispose bombs and inspect pipelines. While these tasks are still often manually controlled by a human from a remote location, certain routine tasks that involve dangers are starting to become automated.

Don’t automate user testing

The whole point of user testing is to test a product on a real-life user. While software can be used to simulate some testing, some of your testing will need to be done on humans to get a genuine reaction. This could include everything from tasting food to trialling out software.

Don’t automate marketing

Effective marketing relies heavily on appealing to human emotions and requires a lot of imagination. While there are automation tools out there to create social media posts, send out emails and generate ads, you could find that you get poor results by relying wholly on automation. Exciting marketing campaigns require human ideas – although once these ideas have been established, you may be able to automate certain processes (such as scheduling pre-written emails to get sent out at certain times).

Don’t automate tasks that require empathy

Robots suck at empathy. Any job that involves empathising with other humans should be handled by humans. A noteworthy example of this is handling complaints on the phone – getting a robot to answer complaint calls could end up frustrating most callers. Automated phone answering should only be used to direct people to the right human contact.

4 Tips to Help You Plan Your Corporate Event

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Plan Your Corporate Event|4 Tips to Help You Plan Your Corporate EventIf the task of organizing a corporate event for your company has fallen onto your desk, then you might be wondering where you should begin in the planning process. It can be a challenge to plan the perfect event, especially if you know that attendance is meant to be high.

If you are looking for how to start planning your corporate event, here are a few tips to help get you going on the right path.

1. Get Organized

The first step to planning the perfect event is to take the time to get organized. There are so many moving parts that you will have a handle on throughout the planning process, so in order to set yourself up for success, it is critical that you plan accordingly.

Make sure that you surround yourself with the right people who share your vision and who you can trust to get tasks done in a timely manner. Set realistic timelines for yourself and your team and take measures to ensure that everyone is aware of important dates and deadlines. With everyone on the same page from the starting line, you are more likely to avoid common mistakes later on.

2. Set and Stick to Your Budget

As with anything involving business, one of the most important things that must be kept in mind is the budget. It can be very easy to go overboard with spending when it comes to corporate events and seminars.

There are so many different things that must be kept in mind in regards to how much you invest in your event. Primarily speaking, though, you want to be sure that you aren’t setting yourself up to lose money through your event.

3. Find the Perfect Keynote Speaker

It is critical to the success of your event that you find and hire the right keynote speaker. If you secure the right person, then you will be able to generate good buzz during the lead up to your conference and ensure that those in attendance have a positive experience.

If you aren’t sure where to look, organizations like Saxton Speakers have many speakers to choose from. You are able to search for the perfect speaker using the exact criteria that you’d like so that you can better tailor the type of speaker you hire to the event you are planning.

4. Book an Appropriate Venue

Once you have certain particulars of your event nailed down, it will be time to search for and book an appropriate venue. The venue should be able to accommodate the theme and size of the conference without going over your budget.

Keep in mind that the price of the room rental is only a portion of what it costs to book a venue. Other expenses can include insurance as well as parking for your guests. The security deposit for the place you book is one of the upfront charges that you should be prepared for.

10 Ways To Increase Your Visibility As A Local Business

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Increase Your Visibility|10 Ways To Increase Your Visibility As A Local BusinessIf you’re looking for ways to increase your visibility as a local business and you’re unsure where to start then don’t worry, you have definitely come to the right place. Whether you’ve been in business for 10 years or you’re just getting started, it’s incredibly important to always be thinking about how you can reach new customers and as a local business, often this can be a little more difficult. Luckily, there are lots of ways in which you can grow locally. With that in mind, here are 10 ways to increase your visibility as a local business:

– Start Using A Social Media Strategy

One of the best ways to increase your visibility as a local business is to start putting together a social media strategy that you can easily follow. Although you may feel as though you need to be on every single app in order to succeed, the truth is that it only takes a couple of platforms in order for you to reach your audience. You need to think about which social media platforms your audience are likely to be using, then start working on your strategy from there. Whether it’s posting content they relate to or sharing the latest offers you have, it’s important you know what you’re going to be using each channel for. For a guide to creating your social media strategy, you can visit this site here.

– Work With A Local Marketing Agency

If you’re unsure whether or not you’re going to be able to create a social media strategy on your own, you may want to consider working with a local marketing agency instead. Not only will they be able to help when it comes to your social media channels, but they will also be able to help in various other ways. From creating an email list to using video to attract new customers, local marketing agencies will know exactly how to reach those around you.

– Consider Pay Per Click Advertising That Is Targeted Locally

Another great way to increase your visibility as a local business is to consider using pay per click advertising, as this will allow you to target people based on their location. If you’re looking for just local customers, this is absolutely ideal! You can set location, age, gender and a whole host of other demographics that will ensure your advertisements are only seen by people that would be interested in them. For a guide to using pay per click advertising as a small business, you can visit this site here.

– Pay For Advertisements In Local Papers And Publications

If pay per click advertisements is something you don’t think will work for your business model, why not consider paying for advertisements in local papers and publications? If you know your target audience is going to be reading them, it’s definitely a great way to get your business in front of the right people. In some cases, however, it can be expensive.

– Attend Local Events And Fairs

Local events and fairs are amazing for local businesses and depending on the type of business you run, you may seriously want to consider whether or not they are something you should be attending. Whether you’re attending to network with local business owners or you’re attending to sell your products to attendees, once you start showing your face at three or four events a year, local people will start to become more and more familiar with who you are.

– Failing That, Sponsor Local Events And Fairs

If you can’t always attend a local event or you want to go that one step further, why not consider sponsoring local events too? Having your name on all of the marketing and branding is a great way to get your name out there when it comes to local customers, as soon they’ll start to see you as someone who is everywhere at all times. Whilst it can be expensive at times, the promotion you will receive is invaluable. For the benefits of sponsoring an event, you can visit this site here.

– Consider Investing In A Virtual Office

If you’re working from home and you want to make your business seem more professional, investing in a local virtual office is a great idea. For those that don’t know, renting a virtual office means that you rent an address to use within your business. Whether it’s using it to send your mail or using it to allow you to operate in a certain area, they’re a great solution to using your home address as a business address. If you are looking for a virtual office service, you can visit this site here.

– Aim For Local Coverage On TV

Although it can be difficult, local coverage on TV is a great way to get your name out there. Whether you’re helping a local charity or you’re doing incredible things for your community each and every day, it’s important you’re doing all that you can to get your name out there. If you’re looking for assistance when it comes to local TV coverage, you may want to consider speaking to a PR agency.

– Set Up A Local Loyalty Scheme

If you want your existing customers to come back time and time again, you need to be sure you’re offering a loyalty scheme that will encourage them. Whether this means offering a discount or giving away free products after a certain number of purchases, you need to love the customers you already have.

– Rely On Reviews And Word Of Mouth

Finally, you may want to consider relying on reviews and word of mouth. Although it can be hard to get everyone talking about you, your happy customers will be the best marketing you can possibly have.

Are you struggling to increase your visibility as a local business? What can you do to ensure your name is getting out there? Did we miss anything?

How to Start a Distillery: The Step-By-Step Guide

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article |how to start a distillery |How to Start a Distillery: The Step-By-Step GuideEntrepreneurs come in many different shapes, sizes, and interests. They all have different passions that they’re looking to pursue.

That’s good! It’s what makes the corporate world go round. If they won’t provide a certain service to customers, who will?

One of the business ventures you might be interested in is starting a distillery. It gives you a company that you can pour (pun intended) your heart and soul into to receive a substantial profit.

There are however certain guidelines that every potential distiller should follow. Here are some pointers on how to start a distillery that can grow for years to come.

1. Create a Business Plan

No successful business ever started without a business plan in place. Granted, some of them may not be super elaborate, but you don’t want to follow that trend. The more detail, the better!

There are certain factors you’ll want to perform heavy research on for your business plans. These are things such as the costs for your startup, production process, when can you break even, the name of your business, and what you’ll distill to name a few.

What does your target customer look like? How much will you charge them for your liquor? What return do you expect to see?

Assuming you don’t have thousands of dollars laying around, you’ll want to seek a funding group to help with your startup. Having an organized and strategic plan in place goes a long way with them.

2. Establish an Entity and Register for Taxes

Now that you’re a legitimate business, you need to get everything in place with federal business requirements.
That means forming a legal entity for your company and registering for your state and federal taxes.

For forming a legal entity, you can choose from such structures as a Limited Liability Company (LLC) or a Doing Business As (DBA). Either will help protect your personal assets if the business gets sued.

As you’re registering for your state and federal taxes, be sure to apply for and obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN).

3. Start Considering Your Equipment

It’s never too early to start planning and budgeting for the equipment you’ll need to properly distill your liquor.
Such equipment includes water supply, a mill, cooker, still, transfer hoses, receiving tank, and fermenters. All of that can add up quickly and should be purchased in waves leading up to opening up your distillery.

However, the sooner you save up for it and purchase it, the sooner that you can start with your distilling process. Thus, the sooner you can start making a profit off of your liquor!

4. Open a Business Account with the Bank

One mistake that many people make when starting a business is not separating their personal bank account from their business bank account.

Not doing so can risk all of your personal funding and assets that you’ve accrued. Be sure to set up a business account to protect them.

Heaven forbid if you were to get sued, and you didn’t have a business account, things such as your house, checking account, jewelry, car, or retirement savings could be at risk.

While you’re doing that, be sure to request a business credit card so that you can control the expenses and pay them off in one single place.

5. Attend Distilling Workshops

While you or your business partner might be exceptionally knowledgeable on distilling, there will always be more to learn. It’s good for you and your business to educate yourself.

Because of that, you should attend a distilling workshop or two to see what you can learn about the process.
This will also help you build a network of knowledgeable distillers with years of experience under their belt.

They’ll be more than happy to point you in the right direction and help out in any way that they can. Who knows? Maybe your distillery will hire them one day!

While the classes might be a bit pricey, they’re well worth the investment. You’ll receive new ways of thinking that you can reiterate to all of your business partners.

6. Get All Permits/Licenses Taken Care of

Your distillery isn’t a legal business until you’ve properly acquired all licenses and permits required by your state. Be sure to find out what your specific state requires and seek them out.

The two mainstays among all states are a proper liquor license and a certificate of occupancy for your business.
Be sure to look up what role each of them plays in your distillery and how you can correctly go about obtaining them.

7. Invest in Insurance for Your Distillery

There are two types of coverage that you’ll need in your distillery insurance: property coverage and liability coverage.

Property coverage is exactly what the name would imply. It protects all incidents that might happen with the property your distillery conducts its business on.

Such things as fires, faulty parts, or even flooding can be a major catastrophe that results in your company going out of business. You may lose your entire distillery before it even gets up and running.

Property coverage is made to protect things such as the products you’ve made, the machinery you use, and the building that you use.

Liability coverage, on the other hand, protects you from the actions of their users. For example, if someone gets drunk on your premises and then is involved in a drunk driving accident, you’ll be protected.

As you can see, distillery insurance is vitally important. Learn more here for more details on this subject.

How to Start a Distillery: Set It up for Success!

As you can see, there’s a lot of factors on how to start a distillery initially, but they’re all vitally important.
Once you get them all out of the way, you’ll be reeling in a profit in no time!

Be sure to read our other articles that pertain to both this topic and other topics just like it.