An ever-growing threat looms in Wales. Thousands of buy-to-let landlords may be facing fines and prosecution due to failing to complete the registration for a new licensing system. Over 13,000 private Welsh landlords may be prosecuted, all have failed to register since the Welsh government instated the Rent Smart Wales scheme. Despite licensing being legally mandatory for a year, the private rental sector has still not met full compliance.
13,208 Applications Left in Limbo
Rent Smart Wales requires all landlords and letting agents to register their properties before they can self-manage their rental. The deadline for compliance was initially set at 23rd November 2016. Ever since then, it has been a legal offence to either let or manage a property without being issued the appropriate license. Only 64,248 registrations were submitted, with 13,208 applications started but not finished. Despite the mass infringement, those delayed need not worry yet. Carl Sergeant, minister and overseer of the scheme, stated that those who started the process will not face persecution. He also insisted that this “must not be seen as an excuse to ignore the law”.
Rent Smart Wales – Promoting Quality Rentals
Rent Smart Wales aims to bolster the quality of service and accommodation of rental properties throughout Wales. They offer extensive training courses, allowing landlords to better understand the situational benefits of rental properties. 96% of all landlords who receive training from Rent Smart leave feeling that the education has made them a better rental agent. Both in-person training and seminars are offered, as well as numerous online training solutions. If you are not registered, you are incapable of serving a valid section 21 notice for possession of your property. Non-compliance may result in the following action being taken:
Fixed Penalty Notices (either £150/£250)
Rent Repayment Orders
Rent Stopping Orders
Criminal Prosecutions and Fines
Act Now to Prevent Prosecution
Time is running thin for those who are not yet compliant. Sargeantstated “My message to private landlords is clear. You must take action to comply with the requirements of the law”.Registration costs £33.50 online and £80.50 completed on paper. The amount of properties which you own is irrelevant to the cost. The Property Rental Factory from AXA can help you through the process, while offering useful advice on how to improve both the quality and income of your rental.
The paperless office isn’t quite here yet, and many people think it shouldn’t ever happen, because print on paper is a primal thing – we just need a bit less of it! Not everything can be done digitally just yet, which is why you’re probably still looking around for the best deals on toner cartridges for your business.
By using a laser printer you’re already spending less anyway, as toner is typically cheaper than inkjet ink, but if you can find a way to make it cheaper still, you’ll be in the pink (or the magenta).
Going online is your best bet
By shopping online, you’re taking the easiest path to brilliant savings on your toner cartridges. Online retailers like Cartridge People are always offering good discounts and incentives. They also usually have a huge range of brands and products on offer so even if you have one of the lesser-known printers, these retailers will most likely be able to help you.
Why is buying online so cheap?
Quite simply, because online retailers don’t have the same overheads as physical stores – shopfronts, retail rents, shopfront staff as well as backroom and warehouse staff, fancy advertising hoardings and so on. It all costs money and it’s something that online retailers don’t need – they just need a cool, safe warehouse, dedicated staff and a good-looking, easy-to-navigate website!
Buying online also means better bulk deals
Because online cartridge retailers are able to store large amounts of stock cheaply (no shopfront, remember), they are usually more than happy to supply bulk orders, which will save you lots of money per unit. In addition to this, toner stores for much longer than ink, which means you can order enough to last for an entire year! Ordering large quantities of inkjet ink can be a bit risky, because it degrades over time and sometimes you’ll have dried out or useless cartridges, wasting your savings.
Other ways to save money by buying online
Order refilling kits
A lot of online sellers stock refilling kits for the better-known brands of toner cartridges. This solution isn’t for everyone, but if you’re quite handy you could make it work for you. You should read all the instructions properly before you start to make sure you do it properly and don’t end up with a huge mess.
Try recycled cartridges
If the idea of refilling your toner cartridges fills you with horror, then try some recycled ones. Recycled means that they’ve been collected as empties and sent to a company that can check, test, refurbish them and then refill them. This solution isn’t as cheap as doing it yourself, but it’s much cheaper than buying new ones and the print quality is indistinguishable.
Buy compatibles
Buying compatible cartridges is also a great solution, especially if you get them from an established, well-respected retailer like HP Photosmart Ink Cartridges as they’ll only stock tested and trusted cartridges . A decent online retailer will also give you a warranty and a guarantee just in case something goes wrong or the cartridges don’t work.
Determining the value of your business is called valuation. It is an essential number to know if you want to try to expand your business, sell it or get financing. This number can change often, so you will need to do the valuation annually just to keep it up to date. Getting started with your first valuation can seem like a huge undertaking, but it doesn’t have to stress you out. By following some simple steps, you should be able to gather what you need to complete the process.
Gathering Information
You will need a bunch of financial information to get the big picture. This starts with listing each asset of your business and providing a value for each of them. You may need to get some assistance with this or even hire professionals, depending on what your assets are.
Next, you’ll want to list your expenses. Make sure to note the frequency of these expenses. You might have weekly, monthly, and annual, for example. It’s important to note variable and fixed expenses, too. Variable expenses are those that change, while fixed expenses are always the same. For variable expenses, you can come up with an average to list for the amount.
You will also need your income statement. From this, you’ll want to take the profit or loss amount.
You’ll want to subtract the expenses from the assets and then subtract or add the profit or loss from your total. This will give you the approximate monetary value of your business.
Other Factors
However, there are other ways a business can be valued and the monetary method doesn’t take into consideration some other important factors that can add value to a business. Take a look at this infographic to get a better idea about valuation.
When you are coming up with your business value to sell it, using the monetary method may not be the best choice. This method doesn’t take into account assets that aren’t valued using a dollar amount. These are things like loyal customers, brand recognition, and unique aspects of the business, such as a one-of-a-kind product. In addition, your contributions aren’t really considered, like your skills and any business knowledge you have, such as what you gained through a degree at MVU Online. These things can’t really be valued in money, but they are still adding value to the business. For example, a well-known brand could possibly double the monetary value of a business because it helps reduce the need for excessive marketing and customer acquisition.
Another factor to consider is the up and down nature of valuation. Perhaps you have just had a bad year due to economic issues or something else out of your control. If this happens, your valuation that year could be really low and not a real indication of the value of your business, especially if there are indicators that things will bounce back in the future.
When doing a valuation for your business, you have a lot to consider. If you are seeking financial investors, then a strictly monetary valuation can work. However, if you are selling the business or deciding if you want to expand, you may want to consider other factors when making calculations to help you get a better picture of the true value of your business.
If you’re planning a business trip to Perth, arguably the finest city on any Australian coastline, you’re sure to have a fantastic time and, of course, get lots of work done! There are numerous things that you need to arrange for a business trip, including the following things that you don’t want to overlook when travelling to Perth for an important business meeting or conference.
Pack Properly
A mistake that many business people make is packing far too many things for their trip. While you don’t want to run out of clean underwear and socks, you don’t need to go overboard by packing a massive suitcase that you’re only going to have to lug around the airport. What’s more, minimise your on-board luggage so you don’t need to carry much after you’ve checked in your main luggage.
Legroom on the Flight
Whether you’re flying from overseas or from somewhere on the Eastern Seaboard of Australia, Perth is a long way from anywhere. That means you’re in for a long flight, so make sure you’re comfortable and have plenty of room to stretch out. As many frequent flyers have come to realise, the best seats in economy are those near the exit, so try to reserve seats here so that you can stretch out and enjoy the flight. You may even get some work done along the way!
Airport Transportation
There are numerous transportation options available to you when flying into Perth International Airport, including Uber, traditional taxis and public transportation. Another option, one that many people overlook, is limousine hire in Perth, which is easily the best way to get into town from the airport.
There are some great limousine hire companies operating in the city these days, many of which can take you on a tour of the Swan Valley and the fantastic wineries that call this beautiful part of Western Australia home.
Book a Nice Hotel
Just as there are many great limousine hire companies operating in the city, so too are there many great places to stay around the CBD and farther afield. Perth is an easy city to get about, especially when you’ve hired a limousine on http://www.wickedlimos.net.au to take you around, so don’t restrict yourself to the hotels in Perth’s pretty CBD if you don’t need to as you can stay at a gorgeous beach, like City Beach or Cottesloe Beach, two of the many fine beaches in Perth. And there are many!
See Something
There’s so much to see and do around Perth and the Swan Valley, so make sure you leave yourself a bit of time to see the sights, and take some great photos – it’s worth it! If you have a day to spare, hiring a limousine to take you around the beaches and wine growing regions makes for a wonderful day out, a day out that you couldn’t enjoy anywhere else in Australia.
Planning a business trip to Perth is easy when you know what you’re doing, so take note of these handy tips to plan your next business trip to the Western Australian capital to perfection.
A vehicle is a significant investment, and if you are considering your options for the right vehicle for your business, you might even be planning to buy more than one. For that reason, you want to be very that you have carefully thought about your options, and considered your needs and preferences. Here are a few things to ask yourself that may help to narrow down the choices.
What is the primary purpose of the vehicle?
If you will be using the vehicle to get yourself or your team from point A to point B, then affordability and serviceability should be your primary considerations – in this case, a basic compact car will do nicely. If you anticipate that you may be driving clients to meetings or to job sites, you may want to consider a more upscale or comfortable car – remember, your vehicle will reflect your company and while it doesn’t need to be fancy, a late-model, comfortable vehicle will make a better impression than some other options. Comfort is also key if your job is working for a company such as uber or lyft. Hirebrid offer cars on a pco rental basis which are perfect for uber drivers. If you will be transporting larger groups of people, or people and equipment, a van like the Ford Transit might be a great option – you can visit your local Ford van dealership to find out more. Remember, you will have this vehicle for a number of years, so try to think down the line to anticipate how your business and your vehicle needs might change.
How long will you hold onto it?
If you are planning to keep the vehicle for a number years and have financed it, then you will want to choose a vehicle that can be counted on to be relatively reliable beyond the warranty period, easy to repair, and relatively inexpensive. Certain makes will have more expensive parts than others, and this should be factored in. You will also want to consider the rate of depreciation – many cars lose about half of their value in the first 3 years, and this will be taken into account by the financing agent and could be reflected in higher costs. It may also have tax implications for your business. Moreover, if you plan to trade in the vehicle at some point, you will want to be sure that there is value left when you are ready to upgrade.
How much and how will the vehicle be driven?
Will the vehicle be used every day? And what kind of driving will be most common? Stops and starts in city driving will be less efficient than longer highway drives, and if you think that you will be driving most often for short trips then fuel efficiency is something to consider.
Do you need more than one?
If you have need for both a delivery vehicle and a vehicle for meeting clients, then it might be an easy decision to purchase two different vehicles. It is less clear if you will primarily need one kind of vehicle with only occasional need for something different. In this case, you might decide to purchase the vehicle that can be the most useful the most often, or to consider a multipurpose vehicle.
These are just some of the things that you may want to consider as you think about purchasing a vehicle for your business. Above all, be sure to do your research and think carefully about your needs now and in the future.
The grass is always greener. Those who work in an office for someone else view working from home as a dream come true. You can sleep in, wear your pajamas, work when you want, and make your own schedule. If you want to take your kids to the park, you can. If you want to take a break to catch up on a few hours of your favorite Netflix addiction, you can. If you’re sick, you don’t have to call in. You get to stay in bed, rest, and get back to work the following day.
The reality isn’t exactly like the dream. Working from usually means making your own schedule. Working from home does mean spending more time with your kids, and you certainly don’t have to wear pants if you prefer not to. However, working from home presents its own set of challenges. You might not have coworkers gossiping in your ear or taking credit for your work at home, but you probably have diapers to change and grapes to cut into small pieces at every meal. It’s not always easy to remain productive working from home, but you can do it if you put forth a little effort and use a little creative thinking.
Designate a Workspace
One of the most important things to consider when working from home is your location. It’s far less productive to work at the kitchen table. You can see the dishes piling up throughout the day. You can see the television the kids are watching. You can see the mess they’re making. While no one is suggesting you leave them unattended throughout the day, it’s a good idea to work somewhere else. Turn a spare room into an office so you can shut the door and limit distractions. Keep this space clean and orderly, make it smell good, and make it comfortable. These all promote productivity.
Set Specific Hours
Now that you’re working from home, you get to choose your own hours. A good starting point is your own personality. Are you someone who doesn’t mind rising early because you’re more productive in the morning? Are you someone who can’t sleep at night because you prefer to stay up late being productive? What works for you is what works for your job. Set specific hours, and stick to those hours. Make them a habit, and work during that time frame.
Make Rules
One of the biggest obstacles between you and productivity working from home is everyone in your life. There are always going to be those people who think you spend all day sitting in front of the television watching Netflix or lying by the pool with a mimosa and your girlfriends because you work from home. These people don’t understand you working from home means actually working, so they’ve no problem calling, texting, and stopping by when the mood strikes. Make rules. You work these hours, and they aren’t to interrupt you during those hours. Your home is your office, and your friends and family should respect your office hours at home just as they would in someone else’s office building.
Utilize Lists
To-do lists are a work-from-home person’s best friend. These lists are helpful, because they minimize distractions. If you find it difficult to work from home because you have distractions everywhere, put them on paper. Cross them off as you accomplish them. When you’re not feeling productive, tackle a few of the smallest and most insignificant tasks on your list, and see how much more productive you feel when you’re done with those. This allows you to make money online without feeling overwhelmed.
Prep the Night Before
Working from home is distracting in that you have a house filled with things to do all around you all day. The night before is perfect for you to prep for a successful, productive workday. When you don’t have dirty dishes, laundry, and cleaning to tackle during the day, you’re more likely to work productively. When everything is cleaned, prepped, and ready for you in the morning, it makes your day that much more productive.
If you find yourself distracted by something at home during the day, handle it. Sometimes you’re unable to work productively from home if you’re house isn’t in order. If the kids left a mess before they left for school, take 15 minutes to clean it up and get things in order. It seems like a waste of time you should be working, but getting this out of the way in 15 minutes and working without the distraction the rest of the day is more productive than thinking about it all day. Eliminating distractions works.
Change Your Settings
One of the most productive things you’ll learn working from home is to change your settings. Unless you use your cell phone for business purposes, turn the ringer off or turn the “Do Not Disturb” setting on. It won’t notify you of new messages, emails, or calls until you check for yourself. Change your email settings to notify you of new messages only once per hour or once every other hour.
When your phone is constantly alerting you of new messages, new calls, and new emails, you want to look at them and respond. When you don’t know they’re coming in, you’re not distracted. Do yourself a favor and remove all your social media icons of your work computer, too.
Eliminating distractions, setting specific hours, and taking control of all you should do is what makes for a successful day in the lives of work-from-home business owners and/or employees. If these don’t work, it might be that you need a few minutes to get up and get moving. Go outside for a cup of coffee or a short walk. Stay healthy, don’t forget to move, and minimize distractions. This is what leads to a more productive workday at home.
Exhibiting is a great way to grow your business. It gets you in front of your customers and allows you to show off your products or services to a captive audience of potential purchasers.
But how do you know which exhibition is the right one for your business? With a fair upfront investment, you need to be able to justify that you’re giving exhibiting the best chance of success to drive more sales.
Here are three things to consider when figuring out how to choose the right exhibition for your business:
Local vs national shows
Thinking about your target audience, are they likely to live nearby, or could they be anywhere? If you’re a local producer of cheese, you’re more likely to have success at a local show – having the novelty of being a local producer, than at a national show. Especially if you’re starting out.
However, if you’re an online supplier for example where the novelty of being local may not be as strong then your audience could be potentially larger.
There’s also logistics to consider. Getting to a show that’s further away will cost more and may mean an overnight stay. Will your budget stretch that far? How is parking? Although most exhibition display stands are portable, you may live to regret pulling a pop up around in the London Underground on your own.
Target audience
Who is your target audience? What sort of shows would they be interested in? If there’s a high chance that they wouldn’t go to the show you’re looking at, then it may not be the best idea to exhibit there.
What you’ll be looking for is a show where you have a high footfall of people who could be interested in your business. Not everybody in your target audience will be potential purchasers so you want to maximise the chance that they’ll stop!
Most shows that have been running for a few years will have a rundown of audience demographics from previous shows to help you decide whether it’s the right show for you.
Cost
Each exhibition will have a different cost for exhibiting. From a small stall at a craft fair to a large space-only stand in an exhibition hall as you can imagine the costs can start from pounds to a few hundred (if not more for the very large spaces!).
If the show looks like the right sort of environment for you, consider how much you’d have to make to break even from the event in terms of cost. Make sure you add in the hidden costs such as displays and transport in with your total costs. By working backwards, you can work out how much you’d be willing to spend on the stand space. If it seems achievable given the expected number of visitors, then go for it. If it seems completely unrealistic to make that volume of sales, then maybe the show isn’t the right one.
You may however consider having a smaller presence at a more expensive show in order to increase your brand awareness and start to be seen in the right circles with your competitors.
You may never have thought that working in an office could pose a risk to your health. After all, you’re sitting down for the most part in front of your computer, not working on the shop floor where you could injure yourself with heavy lifting, for example.
However, office work does have its health hazards, and it’s as well to be aware of what these are and what to do to try to head them off at the pass.
Look after your eyes
Perhaps you don’t think that staring at a screen for hours will give you any problems, but the longer you are at your computer, the more chance there is of you developing eye problems that could lead to more serious effects.
The most common form of eye problem through excessive computer work is dry eye. If you think of how you read a book, with your eyes down, compare that to how you look at your screen. The likelihood is that you’ll look straight ahead, and that exposes a lot of surface area on your eyes. This significantly contributes to the eyes rapidly drying.
You may also experience eye strain, called asthenopia. This is caused by you staring for a long time at the screen, using minute muscles in the eyes focusing on an object that’s extremely close. If you don’t take breaks, your eyes will get tired and painful.
These two problems can lead on to you experiencing nausea and headaches, making you less productive and possibly to you needing time off. If these problems do happen to your eyes, you should aim to get professional treatment from an eye specialist as soon as you can.
The name given to these problems is Computer Vision Syndrome, so it’s well known enough for a specialist to know what you’re talking about when contacted.
What can help prevent this?
Regular breaks away from the screen can make a major difference as to whether or not you develop dry eye or other visual problems, so you need to be disciplined and ensure that your office manager understands why.
Get up and move about every so often. Sedentary working can lead to high blood pressure and increase the possibility of obesity – both of these are very bad for the eyes.
If you work near a heating or cooling system, a larger amount of air will pass across your eyes and dry them out more quickly. If you have the option, move your desk.
Good office lighting, designed to be less bright than lighting that was originally designed for people working with paper documents rather than on screen, can help reduce screen glare and consequently be more beneficial to the eyes.
Check the position of your screen. Too close and you’ll raise the chance of you getting asthenopia. Move it back and don’t put it too high up. If you do, you’re asking for neck and back strain problems.
If you use common sense when you’re doing screen work, you can avoid the worst problems, but take advice on treatment if something does go wrong.
Becoming a technology reseller can prove to be a lucrative business opportunity. However, while it’s a viable business option, it’s not always an easy one — and not every entrepreneur or business is well positioned to offer technology solutions to clients.
As you begin to explore the possibility of becoming a reseller, ask yourself a few important questions to evaluate your business’s readiness to jump into the reselling fray. Your answers to these questions can help you determine if you should pursue opportunities now, or do some work developing your business before you move forward.
Question #1: Have You Fully Evaluated Potential Vendor Partner Programs?
Every vendor partner offers a different reseller partner program. The key term to remember, though, is partner. Don’t focus exclusively on compensation and reward programs (although they are a concern) but also consider how well the vendor partner works with you to support your business and help you grow while offering the highest possible level of service to your clients. Your vendor partner should be working side-by-side with you at all times, offering resources and support for training and development as well as assistance closing deals.
When evaluating potential vendor partner programs, you should also consider the advantages of a particular vendor over others. Can you identify the “wow” factor that creates a better experience for your customers? What are the competitive advantages that a vendor offers? Your reseller partner should be able to articulate these advantages, specifically as they relate to your target market. Without the ability to identify these points, you will struggle to build your business, and may not see the success you hope for.
Question #2: Do You Have the Staff and Experience to Successfully Resell Technology?
Growth and change are constants in the tech world, and as a reseller, you need to be able to keep up with those changes. However, on a day-to-day basis, your customers are going to expect assistance and support, from the beginning of the purchase process through maintenance and growth.
The question then becomes one of whether or not you have the expertise and knowledge necessary to provide the services that your customers need, and if you need help, can you get it? Some Cisco distributor partners, for example, offer Cisco tech support to their authorized resellers, helping them as they get client businesses set up. If you don’t have access to resources and support, can you get your own team up to speed yourself? Are you prepared to hire experts who can fulfill those important roles? A successful reseller isn’t just an order taker. You will be a partner to your customers, and you need to be ready to fill that role.
Question #3: Do You Understand Your Competition?
Competitive analysis is an important part of any business, but it’s perhaps even more important in the realm of reselling. Customers are turning to you for expertise, so what do you have to offer that other resellers don’t? Understanding your competition can help you measure market demand and find ways to better serve your customers. What are people asking for that they can’t find? How can you fill those roles? Remember that it’s better to do a few things exceptionally well than to provide mediocre service in more areas. It’s almost impossible to be an expert in all areas as a reseller, so determine your strengths and use them to determine your business focus and plans.
Question #4: Do You Have a Business Plan?
Working with the right vendor partner can help your business get off the ground and remain profitable, but you need to develop a business plan. Do you have a pricing strategy? Have you considered the effect on non-billable hours and other costs of doing business? Do you know how you will manage your workload and staff? Considering these factors ahead of time can not only help you secure a partnership agreement, but can prevent unpleasant surprises down the road. Unless you have a plan that considers all aspects of your business, you aren’t ready to become a reseller.
Again, reselling technology equipment is a potentially lucrative business. As with any business, though, you need to ask important questions and assess your own readiness to move forward, so you remain profitable and avoid unnecessary challenges.
Competition has risen drastically in almost every industry over the past few years. After the market crash of 2008, millions of people found themselves out of a job. In order to get back on their feet, many people instead decided to launch their own businesses. The government began to offer a series of incentives and offers to entrepreneurs in the form of tax incentives and subsidies. As a result, over the past five or six years, hundreds of new businesses have been launched throughout the United Kingdom.
Many markets have already become saturated. There are viable alternatives available for virtually every product you might want. As a result, perhaps the only way by which a small business can distinguish its service is by offering superior customer support. Customers want to feel valued. They want to know that the money they are paying was worth it, which is why it is important for you to provide quality support and after-sales service.
However, setting up a customer support department is not as easy as it looks. Most small business owners do not have the capital or the resources to allocate space in their office to set up a separate customer support department. A vast majority of small businesses only operate with a handful of employees. Your customers will obviously expect support around the clock. You will need to purchase telephones, set up a live chat option on your website and reply to customers’ emails regularly. But it’s unlikely that one of your employees will be available via phone at all times. In many cases, you might end up missing calls just because employees were busy or not in the office.
Hiring a Message Taking Service
There are companies that can take messages on your behalf whilst you are busy working. If you want to offer prompt service to your customers, hiring a message taking service is an excellent idea. A message taking service can ensure that no calls are ever missed. The company will answer all telephone calls and take down any messages from consumers. Obviously, it’s important not to show that the services were outsourced. That’s why the message taking service will make it seem as if the call is being handled by a member of the company only. There are certain customer queries that just can’t wait, which is why the company will deliver all messages to your email, fax or SMS.
The Benefits
Even though you may not realise it at first, hiring a message taking service is an excellent option. For small business owners, the benefits will become clear in the long run. Customers will begin to rely on the after-sales support and service offered by your company. It will also free you from the hassle of having an employee sit by the phone at all times, allowing you to work on improving your services and products to make your company grow.
