Michael Levitt's Blog, page 53
November 4, 2021
How Online Retailers Can Be More Sustainable
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More businesses are working hard to reduce their carbon footprint, and consumers now often prefer to spend their money with businesses with stronger green credentials. For online retailers, being more sustainable can be hard, but it can be done with some of these tips.
Some delivery carriers offer more environmentally friendly shipping options with greener trucking services. Look for companies that offer more sustainable options, such as bikes or electric vehicles to deliver your parcels.
More carriers have invested in making their delivery options more eco-friendly, especially within city centers.
By offering your customers the choice of a greener shipping option, you can make sure that your carbon footprint is lowered. You could also go one step further and offer a completely green fleet of delivery services.
Goods that you buy online often come in a plastic, from the outside packaging and the individual items. Retailers can learn from large businesses like clothing company Zara, which went completely plastic-free a few years ago. Items from Zara are shipped in recycled cardboard boxes and aren’t individually packaged, which reduces the amount of waste that is produced. These boxes can then be reused for storage, or recycled again.
Another option is to reuse your packaging. For example, you could send your parcels in cardboard boxes with a card slip around the outside. This slip is where the shipping label is attached and once it has been removed, the inside box can be reused again. This is a simple way to make returns more sustainable. If a customer needs to return their order, they can do it in the original packaging, and you can use the box again yourself just by adding a new slip.
A lot of large online retailers destroy many returns instead of repackaging them, as it is often cheaper for companies to just throw things away rather than reselling them.
This obviously has a big impact on the environment, as many of these items end up in landfill. Companies should rethink their returns process and stop destroying perfectly functional goods that get sent back.
Returns currently cost retailers a huge amount of money every year. Fashion retailers tend to see the highest level of returns from their customers. The cost to the environment of returns is even greater than it is to companies. In the US, returns create 5 billion pounds of landfill waste and produce 15 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year. This is around the same amount of rubbish that is produced by 5 million people in one year.
A lot of online retailers offer their customer free returns. As a result of this, customers often order a lot more stuff than they intend to keep. A lot of shoppers over-order on purpose and then just return what they don’t want. If retailers didn’t offer free returns, customer might think twice about doing this and stop ordering more than they want.
Finding The Right Tools For The Job
Almost everyone has heard the phrase ‘the right tools for the job’ and those in the trade industry are going to hear it more than others. While some people are only as good as their tools, there are so many things to consider when it comes to finding them. The quality of the tools that you use for the job is important, as is the brand of tools that you choose for the work you do.
There are a wide range of tool types for different types of industries, and ensuring that you find the right ones is important. You want the best possible quality, from the solid carbide milling cutter to the drill. Shopping around for this is important, and your tools have to successfully meet your needs. The most obvious place to begin when it comes to seeking the right tools for the right job is manufacturers for your industry. There are many out there who invest well in their tools. Those who don't will notice the difference in their quality of work. When it comes to it, you want to find tools that will last you in the long run so that you can make sure that you have the best for your needs.
If you choose to make do with the tools you have rather than choose to upgrade to new ones, you’re going to struggle. Newer tools of a better quality in which you invest will help you to get better work done all of the time rather than subpar work done some of the time. When you run the risk of being without the tools you need, you could risk the job you’re doing not getting done properly. With a little time, effort and research, you can ensure that you acquire the right tools at the best possible price.
The best thing about looking for the right tools for the job, is that you can get online and find what you need! The internet has made a huge difference in finding the best tools you need for the job you’re doing, and businesses that are on tighter budgets will appreciate the value of the tools they need, too. Having the right equipment in your job is going to make a difference between getting a job done or getting a job done well. There is a difference, and if you consider the size of the job that you have to do, you should ensure that you get the best.
If you need larger tools, you should do some research into them so that you can get the very best for the job you’re doing. You’ll be able to operate all year around when you choose the right tools right now. Keep in mind that your investment has to be a wise one and that means making sure that your equipment is well maintained and serviced to keep it in good condition. With the right tools, no job in your trade is going to feel too big.
November 3, 2021
6 Ways To Make Your Firm Eco-Friendly (Without Greenwashing It)
We’ve all seen examples of firms “greenwashing” themselves in an attempt to make themselves look more environmentally conscious. But consumers aren’t falling for it. They know the game meaning that, in many cases, such attempts actually backfire.
Fortunately, there are some real ways that you can make your company friendlier to the environment which everyone accepts as authentic and meaningful. Here’s what you need to do.
Waste management is a significant factor in the pursuit of reducing the impact of business on the environment. We simply cannot afford to continue dumping our waste into the environment - at least, according to scientific authorities on the matter.
Managing waste is a tedious task for many businesses, but it is something that you can instill with relative ease. Just replace your regular waste receptacles with recycling bins with sections for plastics, glass, metal, food, and others. This way, you can segment your waste and send it to relevant recycling or composting facilities.
Working from home massively reduces the environmental impact of economic activity. Employees no longer need to travel to the office and there is no need for a fixed place of work either, further reducing the burden on the environment.
Many firms like to calculate their CO2 or energy savings by enacting work-from-home policies and then posting them publicly. You can express the estimated benefits of remote work policies in an infographic or headline you publish on your site.
Firms can also make a real difference in the environment by reducing their use of dangerous materials. Companies should steer clear of using VOC-containing paints, heavy metals, such as lead, and hormone-disrupting fabrics.
They should, where possible, look for low-impact alternatives to traditional materials. For instance, they might use eco friendly fabric instead of conventional, crude oil-based polyesters.
Firms can also signify their desire to protect the environment by investing in various carbon offset schemes. The idea here is to mitigate the impact of the firm on atmospheric CO2 levels by investing in projects that help to draw the gas back out of the atmosphere.
Examples of carbon offset projects might include tree planting or wind farm construction. It could also involve installing solar panels or investing in biofuels.
Composting is a powerful tool to help maintain global soil quality and prevent degradation that might lead to crop failures. Many firms, for instance, now compost vegetable and fruit peels, fodder and other organic matter. Typically, they mix it with the waste from other sources to create a richer compost that agriculturalists can use in the future.
Plastic packaging is a major environmental hazard and is still one that the industry is trying to solve. Currently, it is still the best material available from a profitability perspective, but there are no other options available. Furthermore, consumers actually want to avoid dangerous plastic-containing packaging and, instead, use more sustainable alternatives. Cardboard is currently the material of choice, but others, such as those made of vegetable fiber or mushroom, may come online soon.
Tips To Help Your Employees Feel Safe After Returning To Work
All over the world, employees are returning to workplaces and adjusting to a new routine away from dining room tables and guest bedrooms. If you run a business, and you are preparing to welcome your team back, here are some tips to help your employees feel safe.
Issue clear guidelinesCommunication is key when employees are returning to work and customers are adapting to new ways of shopping or accessing products and services. To provide clarity and reduce risks, it is essential to issue clear guidelines and make sure that everyone who visits or uses your facilities or premises is aware of policies and safety measures. If you would like customers or employees to wear a face-covering during meetings or when accessing crowded spaces, for example, make sure this is clear. You can use posters and signs and send out emails to make people aware.
Some people are ready and raring to go in terms of going back to the office, but others may be more reluctant. To provide reassurance and help to manage the risk of contracting and spreading Covid-19, it’s critical to follow and implement testing and isolation guidance. If you require or advise employees to undergo frequent testing, communicate with them openly, be prepared to answer questions, and make sure that it is easy and hassle-free to get a test. It is also important to ensure that every member of staff is aware of the isolation guidelines so that they know what to do if they have symptoms or they test positive.
Employers face new challenges due to the pandemic. While it may not be possible to protect everyone and prevent infection, there are steps you can take to lower the risks. One key measure you can employ is improving air quality and ventilation. Try to keep windows or doors open as much as possible to let air circulate and consider using a HEPA filter to enhance air quality. Research suggests that ventilation and limiting time in crowded indoor areas can reduce the risk of catching and spreading Covid-19 dramatically.
Being in close proximity to other individuals increases the risk of contracting Covid-19. To protect employees and make them feel safer, it’s advisable to limit numbers and maintain social distancing. If you run an office-based team, for example, you could offer employees the option to work from home or use a hybrid system, or you could alternate days to reduce the number of employees in the office at any given time. Use technology to host virtual conferences and meetings if you don’t have large, open spaces available within the premises.
Businesses all over the world are welcoming employees back after a prolonged period of working from home. If you run a company and your team is coming back to the office, it’s essential to ensure that your employees feel as safe and comfortable as possible. Issue clear instructions, follow the guidance on testing and isolation, communicate with your team, limit numbers, and take steps to improve ventilation and air quality.
Starting A Business That's Truly Local
There are so many ways to start a business and to get that business up and running in a powerful way. If you are keen to try and make the most of this, then there are a lot of things that you can think about. One way in which you might want to start up a business is by focusing as much as you can on keeping it as a truly local enterprise. While you might have your sights set on the big time and global expansion, being a local business has many perks and benefits that really make it worthwhile.
So how can you go about doing that? In this post, we are going to take a look at some of the best ways to start a business that is truly a local company.
Plan For Growth, Not Expansion
It is obviously always a hugely important need for business owners to grow their business as much as possible. It’s fine to have this need, but you should bear in mind that there are so many ways in which you can approach it, and it is not all about expanding the company out into more and more areas. In truth, there are many kinds of growth which are more to do with helping more people, gaining more profits in smaller ways, and increasing the services and products on offer.
If you focus on these kinds of growth, more than simply expansion for its own sake, then you are going to be building a truly local business, and one that is going to become an even more important part of the local area.
Of course, some business types are specifically designed to help the local community in some way or another, and it is a good idea to consider these if you are just starting out and you want to grow a business that’s good for the local area. There are a lot of business types to consider that would fall under this category, some of which you may or may not have already thought about.
For instance, you might be keen to start a local charity dealing with an issue that you have seen in the area. Or maybe you have noticed that the area could do with some development, so you are keen to get going with your own local town planning company. Whatever it is, this is a good way to start a business that can be profitable, and all the while ensuring that it is a healthy and reliable part of the community itself.
Alternatively, or even additionally, you could think about starting up a business that is small and independent, which is going to stay that way with no desire about external growth whatsoever. You might want to start an independent store on the local High Street, for instance, or even a cafe or bakery. These kinds of startups are incredibly important to local communities, as they circulate money with the community without relying upon outside areas for the same.
To make the most of this kind of company, you might even want to think about sourcing all of your supplies from the local area too. If you can remain entirely local, then you are going to find that it is much more satisfying. The people around you in the community are also more likely to continue supporting you this way, thereby improving the profitability of the business greatly as well. Small, independent businesses in thriving local areas are often the most rewarding companies to run.
When you are looking to bring more people into the business, you should always look first and foremost within the local area itself for potential candidates. Hopefully, you will never have to expand to look outside the area, but if you do you should at least exhaust the inner networks in the local area first. And the truth is, you’ll probably find all the talent you need without having to look outside your immediate postcode area!
Hiring locally is easier and cheaper too, and the recruitment process is simpler. Put out adverts in shop windows, local newspapers and on the local radio, and before you know it you’ll have a good deal of people applying for work. It really is a great way to ensure that you are getting your business going - and growing - with the right kind of local help. You’ll also find that you are often recommended to people as a friend of a friend who is good at a particular set of skills, and this can be a good way to find the right people for your roles.
All in all, hiring locally is one great way to make sure your business is a truly local force.
Whether or not your business is specifically set up to be a local charity or something of the sort, you can always use it to give back to the local community in some way or another, and doing so is a fantastic way to make great use of the profits that you are making from it. Giving back to your local community is easy enough to do. You can simply set aside a tithe or so from your earnings and find some way to funnel it back into the area. Doing so, and making a point of doing it, will also help your business - though that shouldn’t be the main reason you are doing it, of course!
You’ll find that you gain respect this way and that people are more likely to support you. And once you set up links for giving back, those things will remain in place for good, which means there will be a future infrastructure in the area that people can make use of. You are probably starting to see how satisfying it can be to run a local business in this way, so why not think about doing it yourself today?
Ways To Show Your Customer Appreciation This Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is the perfect time this year to make your customers feel special. If you want to give back to your loyal customers this holiday season, but don’t have any idea what to do, try out some of the following methods. With these ways to show your customer appreciation this Thanksgiving, you can make sure your customers feel appreciated this holiday season.
Add Some Personalization to Your MarketingSometimes, especially for businesses with lots of new and reoccurring customers, it can be difficult to personalize your marketing. With so many customers, it becomes easier to send out general marketing that applies to the whole group. Why not try out a new automated program or add a new piece of code to your digital marketing that can address your customers by name or specially curate product suggestions for them. Adding these small touches of personalization can help your customers feel special this time of year when they receive more marketing than ever.
Hold Special PromotionsCustomers love special promotions and deals, especially during the holiday season. Thanksgiving and the holiday season are the perfect times to host a customer appreciation sale to really show your customers how thankful you are. If you don’t have the margins or the budget for another sale on top of your holiday sales, you could even opt for a free shipping or small gift promotion with their purchase.
Show Your AppreciationEspecially if you decide to hold a special promotion, try adding signage to your store or website announcing your appreciation. You could add something as simple as a “Thank You” sign or poster to your window display or website banner. This is one of the benefits of updating your window displays and site banners. You could even schedule posts to social media on Thanksgiving and throughout the holidays saying thanks to your customers and wishing them a happy holiday.
Acknowledge Your Loyal CustomersA customer appreciation period is the perfect time to acknowledge your most loyal customers. Go the extra mile to show your top repeat customers some special attention. For example, you could include thank-you notes with their orders or include them in a specialty “VIP” program. You could even start up a loyalty program where customers can earn points with their orders toward discounts or free gifts.
The holiday season is the perfect time to show your business’s thanks and give back to your customers. After all, without your loyal customers, how would your business have taken off in the first place? Try employing these methods as ways to show your customer appreciation this Thanksgiving. This will help bring you and your customers closer and will boost your brand awareness as well.
November 2, 2021
Covering Your Legal Bases As A New Firm
It’s important to note that in the world of business, your legal standing is everything, and while it might not guarantee you success, it can certainly protect you from undue failure. Often, the laws that might seem restrictive or intensive are there to help you and your brand. For instance, employment law is there to protect the wellbeing of your staff as they work for you, which is what you want. Health and safety laws may seem overbearing in some circumstances, but ultimately, they’re here to prevent injuries and casualties, which is more than worth some administrative strain.
Covering your legal bases as a new firm, then, is essential to consider. Not only must we make sure that we’re registered and properly operational within all the right contexts, but that we know how to prevent issues coming back to us in the case of lawsuits or reputational knocks. In this post, we’ll discuss a few measures that new businesses should use in order to protect themselves. Without further ado, please consider:
It’s essential that you have the correct insurance as a business. Of course, some of these are non-optional. For instance, public liability insurance can protect you and make medical funds available if a product of yours causes harm to someone, or causes damage to property.
Asset insurance can protect essential investments and elements of your inventory. Employer’s liability insurance is another essential and required insurance form, which will cover the cost of claims made against you if an employee is injured or ill working for you. While insurance is not necessarily considered ‘legal protection’ more than it is financial protection, having it is considered so essential that you would be breaking the law operating without it. For that reason, it’s essential to find a broker dealing in packages such as public liability insurance, one that can help you arrange a full, serviced arrangement, netting you a competitive package you can use for years.
It’s essential to make sure that your employment contracts are thoroughly read and edited by your legal team or outsourced lawyers, as well as ensuring that none of the language is vague, that all stipulations are properly laid out, and that the contract is updated as regularly as you need to make alterations, depending on the length of employment. Here you can make sure that any extra time off during the day is set in stone, how business expenses should be handled, what transparency measures they are obliged to be part of, and more.
Of course, all contracts must comply with employment law, and so this should be poured over by a lawyer specializing in that litigation, allowing you to make sure that the recruiting relationship starts off on the best possible footing going forward. It can make a tremendous difference to make sure that everything that could be reasonably expected from both parties is in that contract, even if you’re dealing with freelancers or subcontractors online and wish to stipulate that you will be the primary client they work for during the day.
It’s essential to pay your invoices on time, your payroll on time, your suppliers on time, and to settle every debt you can as quickly as you can. Of course in some scenarios, accommodations can be made to better work around the cash flow of your small business (this is why suppliers often give a month or so for payment to be given), but it aids your relationship with those entities if you can clearly and proudly pay as quickly as possible. With certain measures like payroll, there is absolutely no negotiation to be had here. It must be paid on time, lest you suffer the consequences of disgruntled staff who may or may not sue if this becomes a pattern.
Cybersecurity compliance is essential in a technological environment constantly in flux, where ransomware attacks are increasing, and when new legislation like Biden’s recent cybersecurity executive order is forcing companies to properly onboard should they wish to compete for any government contracts at all.
Make sure that you use properly maintained IT services with cloud functionality that utilize 24/7 support, constant patch updates, and can provide you with cybersecurity compliance practices on a whim. This way, you’ll be much more likely to prevent breaches and data leaks, which can ultimately leave you legally exposed at the behest of your affected clients and business-to-business connections.
With this advice, you’ll be sure to properly cover your legal bases as a new firm.
How To Show Your Customers That You Care
In this day and age, a company can’t thrive if it doesn’t show that it cares about its customers. After all, the competition is too fierce. Any business that treats its customers as an afterthought is unlikely to be around for all that long. Their customers will simply give their business to a company that does care about them. Of course, you can’t just care about your customers in theory. You have to show it. In this blog, we’ll look at some of the most effective ways to show your customers that they really do mean something to you.
It’s easy for companies to be on their customers’ side when everything is going well. How could you not show your appreciation for your customers when they’re giving you their money? The test of the customer relationship comes when there are complaints. It’s how you respond to problems that’ll determine the true values of the company. As a general rule, you should strive to fix any problems as and when they arise. There’ll be no doubts about the sincerity of your care if you go above and beyond to rectify mixtapes and ensure that your customers are happy!
A caring company will hope that its customers are fully happy with the services or products that they offer. A non-caring company will only care about getting their money. As such, one of the best ways to show you care is to simply make your goods and services as high quality as possible. After all, you care about the happiness and satisfaction of your customers!
Thinking about a person’s health and safety is the foundation of care. If you don’t do that, then it doesn’t really matter what else you do -- there’ll be a pretty low upper limit to how much you care. So first and foremost, make sure that your customers face no risk when they interact with your company. There are many ways you can do this. You could include safety instructions, send your goods in child resistant bags, or invest in the health and safety protocols of your worksite. It’s all about ensuring that your company poses no safety risk to the well-being of your customers.
A caring company looks beyond the sale and makes sure that its customers are happy even after the transaction has been made. A simple phone call where you can get the thoughts and feelings of your customers can be a highly effective way to show that you’re a company that does things differently. Plus, the feedback you receive could be highly valuable, especially if you learn how you can improve.
Finally, look at giving your loyal customers exclusive deals and offers. Many companies only give these deals to new customers, but that’s wrong -- why shouldn’t existing customers be rewarded? They’re the ones who built the company up -- it makes no sense for them to be the only ones paying full price!
Is Your Business Doing Enough For Your Employees?
Is your business doing enough for your employees? When you really sit down and think about it, are you actually doing enough? If you can’t think of any of the measures that you are currently taking to ensure that they are protected, then the answer is no. If you can only think of one or so, the same applies. In this article, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the things that you need to be doing in order for your business to be doing enough, so keep reading to find out more.
The first thing that you need to do is provide a comfortable work environment in which they can work. Nobody wants to come to work only to feel scared if they are being bullied by someone else, or like they are going to be anxious for some reason all day. There are measures that you can take to ensure that they are all as comfortable as possible such as providing a break room for them to go to if they need a moment, and having a 0 tolerance for any kind of abusive behavior. Crackdown hard on things like this, and it will never become an issue in the company.
There are a number of threats out there, and you need to be protecting your employees the best that you can. Obviously, you are not going to be able to do this with everything, but one of the things that you can handle is what happens if your employee gets injured on your premises or because of their job role. They need to be able to claim work injury compensation from your business, which means you need to get yourself the correct insurance. The last thing that you want is for someone who works so hard for your business to be left in the lurch simply because you didn’t want to pay a little extra for the right policy. Your employees are worth it, remember that.
Finally, you need to be maintaining their mental health the best that you can. Of course, this doesn’t fall entirely on you but we do recommend you take some measures to let them know that you are always there for them. Have an open-door policy so that they can come to you when they are having issues or when they need help. Be compassionate and understanding towards your employees, remembering that they are humans too and sometimes need to be shown some grace.
Also, consider hiring a therapist for your business that people can see if they feel they need to. Do this, and show them that you care about their wellbeing.
We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the things that your business needs to be doing in order to be doing enough for your employees. The employees are one of the most important parts of any business, so it’s essential that you are doing everything in your power to help them as much as you can.
November 1, 2021
Tips for Improving Worker Safety in Mining
There's a strong correlation between keeping your on-site mining incidents low and increasing productivity. That's why it's crucial for mining owners and operators to do everything possible to prevent accidents in the workplace. Continue reading to discover tips for improving worker safety in mining.
Always Have Gas Monitors PresentMiners might release toxic fumes such as carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) unexpectedly during mining operations. You need to make sure you use fixed or portable gas monitors at all times to alert workers of potential dangers related to these and other gases.
Miners can use portable detectors to evaluate the environment in confined areas before entering, identify leakage, and offer early alerts for any hazardous gases. You can place fixed detectors in high-risk zones where deadly or flammable gases can build up quickly and require constant monitoring.
Everyone Needs Proper Respiratory ProtectionThere's a lot of dust and debris that kicks up into the air when mining, and it can cause both short- and long-term health effects when inhaled. You must ensure that you ventilate confined spaces as much as possible. It's also essential that you develop a respiratory protection training course to inform personnel about the respiratory hazards they encounter and the precautions they must take to safeguard their well-being.
You'll also need to give a respirator to each underground miner. Respirators minimize the likelihood of breathing harmful airborne particles such as dust, gases, or vapors.
Watch Out for Falling HazardsEven though most mining activities take place underground, there are numerous tripping and falling dangers to avoid. Your workers could plunge down a mine shift, trip over equipment and debris, or fall down mountains and hills. Take the time to set up the proper safety equipment and signage to keep workers on high alert for potential disasters.
Make Sure Visibility Is HighWorking in low-light environments can cause workers to make mistakes that can lead to injuries and workplace accidents. You can ensure workers can get a clear view of their surroundings with the proper underground lighting. Illuminating dark passageways can be incredibly important for pre- and post-blasting routines.
Ensure that every individual wears a personal illumination device and uses stationary lamps that can survive all types of weather. That can provide them with a consistent light source that also prevents surprise blackouts.
Following these tips for improving worker safety in mining will prevent severe accidents on your job sites and enhance employee morale. Workers notice and appreciate when management is looking out for them. In turn, you’ll find a significant increase in your productivity.
