Why Should You Read Books About Fiction?

Books are a great way to escape into another world. There are many benefits of reading books. Some include learning about different types of fiction and understanding character traits, and how to better connect with people. You will know more about yourself when you read a book than watching TV or constantly scrolling through Facebook. It is an opportunity that you should not miss. Below are some reasons to read fiction books.

You Can Boost Your Empathy

Fiction exposes readers to new perspectives and experiences that they may never have learned otherwise. This gives them the ability to understand different cultures and people better than somebody who does not read. Reading fiction books like the Daniel Handler book series also helps foster empathy among individuals in society. They increase perspective-taking skills. This encourages less prejudice among individuals. It allows for greater understanding between members of different groups.

You'll Imagine the Impossible

It Is hard not to imagine what it feels like to fly, shoot lasers out of your eyes or see things differently. However, some fiction novels force you to use your imagination much more profound than you usually would. This is generally done by having the main character do something that has not happened before. Others will consider taking you somewhere that does not exist. When you start using your imagination in more different ways than you usually do, it is easier to learn how it works and how to control it. Plus, it will allow for more creativity in all aspects of life, including art and problem-solving.

You'll Gain a New Perspective

Fiction authors like Daniel Handler allow readers to travel to and explore a whole new world. Science fiction can make you wonder what it would be like to live on another planet. Fantasy novels could make you want to believe in magic, and romance novels could fill you with desire. The best part is that these feelings are all relatively innocent. This means reading is purely for entertainment. However, these feelings and emotions will still help you understand that different perspectives are nearly always possible.

Reading books and articles about fiction is an excellent exercise for both the brain and spirit. It may sound odd. However, reading these texts can profoundly impact your everyday life. Studies have shown that avid readers are more mentally fit than their counterparts who don't pick up a book for fun, from developing empathy skills to improving creativity and intelligence. So put down your phone, step away from the computer screen, read one of these posts, or grab a good book!

Modern Features Relevant To Workspace Interior Design

The modern office outlook combines the elements of life, work, and plays for the employees and top management. It has transformed drastically into creative centers, with the cubicle wall replaced by an open workstation layout. The imaginative nature of the modern workspace serves as a retention tool for various businesses, mainly focusing on productivity, integration, and connectivity. Highlighted below are modern approaches to consider when looking for office design services.

Open Space Design

The openness of office space can be achieved through the use of windows, angled walls, or half walls. This approach has proven beneficial in that it promotes shared working spaces and enables open communication channels to be fostered. The presence of natural light contributes to the general well-being of employees and improves the level of productivity.

Regardless of the workspace size, introducing an open layout facilitates making the most of the space. If the working space has the traditional setting, consider a redesign via the dismantling of individual cubes, dismantling office partitions, and rearranging the desk layout completely. This design approach creates the illusion of a bigger space and enables collaboration among employees.

Wallcoverings

Incorporating wallcoverings into the interior design of workspaces is essential as it showcases the history and culture of the company. Integrate color, pattern, or texture on a wall. Consider using wood design wallpaper and absorption paneling to add warmth and dimension to the space. Such surfaces, when used, facilitate easy cleaning as well as maintenance.

The wallcoverings transform plain offices into areas that assure hospitality to visitors and employees. Consider wall designs that mimic wood, stone, and natural materials and ensure they possess the attribute to facilitate the possibility of working with different colors. Consider Class A types as they are fire-rated and can easily be cleaned and sanitized. Benefits include safety, adding personality to a space, providing a conducive working environment, and enhancing enthusiasm and mood.

Sustainability And Green Options

Living walls, including real gardens and plant displays, are incorporated into modern-day office spaces. The greenery aids in the addition of nature and brings the outdoor environment to the workspace. Spaces with no windows and poor lighting can integrate this approach to add life to the working environment.

Plants create a comfortable setting, a home-like trend, and have numerous health benefits as they improve oxygen flow capabilities and minimize toxins in the air. The multifaceted nature of adding the plants to an office layout allows the employees to take a break when tending to them, which calms their minds.

Introduce More Light

Consider a bright, airy surrounding when designing a layout. The benefits of natural light help to make individuals happier and increase their productivity. This is a recipe for building an effective team to facilitate efficiency. A well-lit environment is always inviting, and employees find such a setting to be more comfortable.

Acoustics

Soundproof the workspace to reduce distractions, whether in private offices or open-plan layouts. Poor acoustics means that concentration is reduced, increases stress levels, and lowers productivity. Achieve sound management through acoustic panel installation, sound-absorbing lights, room dividers, and a dedicated quiet area.

The workplace environment is of significance to our day-to-day life. Spending the majority of the time in a comfortable workspace helps have a positive impact on mood, health, and cognitive behavior. Consider integrating the above modern-day design features to facilitate a conducive working environment.

4 Reasons to Push For Innovation At Your Business

Running an innovative business doesn’t necessarily mean you have to come up with the next iPhone invention or Tesla car brand, but it does mean you have to think creatively and outside-of-the-box. Innovation is the key to standing out from the competition in today’s overly saturated market.

Successful businesses are all about innovation that takes form in all shapes and sizes. These companies recognize trends before they become trends, and they make a point to adopt them as soon as possible while the rest of the industry plays catchup. Whether you are a business owner, an executive at a Fortune 500 company, or an employee at any level, it’s vital to push for innovation in your company to reap the benefits as early as possible. But some managers and business owners will need convincing why innovation is so important, so here are four reasons to help them change their minds.

It Prepares You for The Future and Differentiates Your Business from the Competition 

Even if the innovative practice doesn’t catch on immediately at your organization, there is a high chance it will at some point, so this will cut the learning curve in half and help your company be prepared once it becomes an industry standard. By investing in innovative technology as soon as possible, you’re able to overcome the teething problems that many businesses will face when they are forced to adopt it, rather than to embrace the technology. This will make everyone’s job much more comfortable and provide plenty of benefits for both customers and staff. Innovation is essential to differentiation today.

It Will Make Staff More Confident and Excited to Work on Different Project

Speaking of staff, encouraging them to take KUO courses in operations management and technology will make them more confident in dealing with the innovative procedures that will soon become the norm. This is especially true for the younger generation of workers who are always looking for watts to make their workday more interesting and efficient. If they expose themselves to the type of practices early on, they will be able to use them and train new staff when needed without the risk of crashing the system or making a severe error. Equipping your team with the knowledge and expertise needed will serve your organization in a positive manner for years to come.

It Will Boost Your Brand Reputation and Brand Awareness 

Customers, investors, clients, and the media that see your willingness to embrace new technologies and other operational advancements could help boost your reputation in your industry and across the business world. The modern world adores innovative companies that are looking for solutions to improve the experience for everybody. If you demonstrate that your company puts a heavy focus on innovation, you can attract positive attention from a variety of stakeholders, including the press. This could also draw customers towards you and make your business an attractive place to work, increasing your profits and helping you achieve growth faster and more efficient.

When my team built the Wellnessirl.com platform, we knew that we wanted to build a unique wellness platform to help healthcare providers find stress relief and engage in self-care (as this group suffers from the highest levels of burnout at work). We built this one of-a-kind platform and launched it, and helped attract attention from top-tier media outlets including, Inc.com, ThriveGlobal.com, FastCompany.com, and so many more. Due to the innovative and unique brand, the company is growing at about 10 percent month-after-month.

It Will Improve the Customer Experience and Increase Your Overall Customer Acquisition and Retention Numbers

Customers want a streamlined experience that is easy and straightforward, especially while navigating a website or e-commerce shop. By innovating your business practices online and in-store, you can make this possible for them. Adopting new methods of shipping, payment, security, or dealing with queries and complaints will transform their experience for the better, and even if they were not fond of your business beforehand, this attitude could change following innovation.

Much like an increased reputation attracts more customers and keeps them coming back, so too will an improved user experience, and with enough preparation, you can make sure there are no hiccups along the way. Ensuring your consumer touch-points are easy to navigate both online and offline is key to attracting and keeping your customers over the long-term. 

Strive for Innovation Across the Organization by Giving Employees Freedom to Explore Ideas and Provide the Tools They Need to Succeed

An innovative company will be rewarded faster than you might expect. Even though some innovations won’t work out as hoped or happen as quickly as you wanted, the majority become industry-wide practices that everyone adopts at some point. If you want to present your company as one worth watching to consumers, investors, and the media, then building an innovative framework for all departments in your organization is the best place to start.

10 Signs Your Business Is Stuck In The Past

Pixabay. CCO Licensed.

Every business needs to be able to evolve with the times. Fail to keep up, and you could find that you’re unable to compete with the efficiency of other companies. Customers may also lose trust in your business if you still rely on old methods. All in all, refusing to adopt modern methods is bad for business.

There are many ways to determine whether your company needs to evolve. Here are ten tell-tale signs that your business is stuck in the past (and what you can do to drag your business kicking and screaming into the present).

You don’t have a website

Not having a website is 2020 is unacceptable. Many companies nowadays rely on a website to gain new customers. Without a website, your company may not seem official to most people.

Building a website could be the first important step to modernizing your company. You can do this with the help of a website development company or you can attempt to build your own website (the likes of WordPress can allow you to build a website for free with no programming knowledge, but generally a professionally designed website will look better).

You have a website – but it’s not mobile-friendly

It’s possible that you may already have a website, but it may not be mobile-friendly. Nowadays, more people use the internet on their smartphones than they do on PCs. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you could scare off customers that discover you on their mobile devices.

Most modern websites are mobile-friendly. You only have to worry if you haven’t updated your site in more than a decade – anything pre-2010 is unlikely to have been designed with smartphone users in mind.

You don’t use social media

Social media is an important marketing tool nowadays. Many businesses use it to keep current customers in the loop and to attract new customers. It can help you to build a web presence beyond a website and it can help you to look more official.

Facebook and Twitter are the two most effective social media platforms for generating leads. Setting up pages on these platforms is free, as is posting content. If you’re not savvy with social media, it’s always possible to hire a social media marketing company to help you.

You still spend money on phonebook adverts

Phonebook advertising is largely defunct nowadays. When it comes to searching for businesses, most people use online search engines. Unless your target market is over 70, you’ll generally find that you get little business from a phone book advert.

SEO (search engine optimization) is a much more effective marketing strategy. This can help to boost your rankings on search engines so that more potential customers stumble across your company.

You still use a fax machine

Fax machines were once commonly used for copying and sending documents. Nowadays scanners can be used for this purpose. However, even scanners are going out of fashion – most documentation is now digital and so it’s much more common to email documents and store them on the cloud.

Some companies still use fax machines for security reasons (you can’t hack a fax machine). However, for the majority of companies that don’t use a lot of paper, there’s little to no reason to own a fax machine.

Pixabay. CCO Licensed.

You still rely heavily on paper

A growing number of modern companies are going paperless. Now that files can be stored and sent digitally, there’s little need to keep and send paper copies. Paper files can take up a lot of physical space and cost time and money to print and send. Digital files meanwhile take up no physical space and can be emailed for free instantly. On top of this, digital files are also better for the environment.

Start using less paper today. There are guides online on how to go paperless that could be worth reading.

You don’t recycle

Modern businesses are being encouraged to recycle to help protect the planet. Refusing to recycle your waste could have a negative impact on your reputation. Certain items worth recycling could include old electronics, old furniture, paper, and plastic packaging.  

You do your bookkeeping manually

Accounting software has made bookkeeping a lot easier. Rather than manually adding up taxes and expenses, it can all be done automatically as you are earning and spending. This could save you a huge amount of time and could likely reduce the risk of human error.

There are many accounting programs out there. It’s worth comparing various programs to find the best-suited software for your needs.

You don’t use the cloud

Cloud technology has taken off in the last decade. Using the cloud, you can keep backups of files on a remote server so that they can be accessed from anywhere. In the event of a natural disaster, a fire, or a burglary in which computers are damaged/stolen, this could give you access to your files so that you can still continue to keep your business alive. Access from any location could also give you greater flexibility as to where you work – you don’t have to work from your office.

With the help of IT consulting and support, you can explore ways of integrating cloud technology into your business. There are many different cloud providers out there to choose from.  

You only accept cash

Fewer customers are now carrying cash around. If you don’t accept card payments, you could find that you’re driving away customers – especially if there aren’t any nearby cash machines.

You can now buy mobile card readers that can be used practically anywhere. Card payments can also be accepted online by using a secure payment gateway on your site. Do your research to find the best forms of card payment for you. 

You don’t use accounting automation software

Accounting automation software is a type of software that automates the process of accounting. It has the ability to automatically generate financial reports and manage payrolls.

Some of the benefits of using accounting automation software include:

- Reduced time spent on manual data entry

- Reduced Human error

- Increased accuracy

Being Old-School Is Cool, But You Might Want To Get With The Times

https://unsplash.com/photos/I_pOqP6kCOI

Over time, pretty much everything in society evolves in some way. If you look back at photos, videos, and stories from, say from fifty years ago, you’ll notice that everything was awfully different from how it is now. It’s almost as though we are a completely different species to that of half a century ago. Some people quite like how simple and uncomplicated things were back then, but the majority of us know that, in order to progress, we have to evolve. This applies to so many aspects of life, so it’s great that we’re able to take certain areas of life and continually build on them. 

These kinds of progression and evolution apply to the working world, too. Back in the day, people would get by with old hard, honestly graft. Nowadays, though, things are a lot different, and we have a lot more going for us than just our own two hands. 

While it’s pretty cool that we can use modern techniques and technology to help us throughout the day, it has now become pretty imperative that these new-age things are applied. If a certain business doesn’t keep up with the rest, then it can become swallowed up. They might also look a little unprofessional compared to the rest of the competition.  

If you’re running a business and you want to get the very best out of every aspect, then you might want to get with the times! If you’re pretty old-school in your ways and you like the simpler methods, but you’re open to some suggestions, then here are just a few for you to take on board! 

Chill Out A Little 

This applies mainly to those in an office-based job. In years gone by, those in offices had to look their very best just to show up for a basic nine-to-five job. Now, those in top-tier positions will obviously want to look good in order to represent themselves and their company well, but many office jobs are now a lot more lenient in terms of their perception. The focus is more on the work and not on the outfits. If you can have a more casual and laid back approach, then you might get more out of the employees and the working day as a whole. 

Get On Social Media

Pretty much every business in the world is on social media these days. If you’re not, then you’re missing out on a chance to market and promote yourself excellently online. Billions of people are on these platforms, so the reach could be gigantic. People also look for social media accounts if they want to know a little more about you, so you’d be adding that extra avenue.

Work With IT Companies

There are heaps of IT support companies out there that you are able to work with. If you want a little guidance and advice along the way, then you could get in touch with IT consultants. If you feel as though your IT systems need constant monitoring and protecting, then you could solicit help from firms like www.xitx.com and many, many more. These kinds of companies can literally watch over your digital life and make sure nothing bad happens. 

This article contains affiliate links.

Best Quotes for Female Entrepreneurs

If you've been following this blog for a while, then you know that I don't really post quotes. But the last few weeks, I've been going through this emotional roller coaster—one day I'm super excited to launch my new programs and services, and then the next, I feel anxious and unmotivated because I don't know how they're going to pan out.

So while I was on the way to the train to drop Michael (my husband) off so he can get to work, I started to think about some of the best quotes I've heard throughout my professional career and how they inspired me to keep moving during the hard times (like now), and have decided to share them with you. I hope you find them as inspiring as I do.

1). “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Eleanor Roosevelt

2). “A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform.”  Diane Mariechild

3). “The most effective way to do it, is to do it.”  Amelia Earhart

4). “If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.” Katharine Hepburn

5). “It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.” Madeleine Albright

6). If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.”  Margaret Thatcher

7). “The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” Ayn Rand

8). I don’t care what you think about me. I don’t think about you at all.” Coco Chanel

9). The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” Alice Walker

10). “And the trouble is, if you don’t risk anything, you risk more.”  Erica Jong

11). “I never dreamed about success. I worked for it.”  Estée Lauder

12). “Don’t be the girl who fell. Be the girl who got back up.”  Jenette Stanley

13). “You are the one that possesses the keys to your being. You carry the passport to your own happiness." Diane Von Furstenberg

14). “I was smart enough to go through any door that opened.” Joan Rivers

15). “The difference between successful people and others is how long they spend time feeling sorry for themselves.” Barbara Corcoran

16).  “I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than regret the things I haven’t done.” Lucille Ball

17). “If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” Dolly Parton

18). "Done is better than perfect." Sheryl Sandberg

19). “Take criticism seriously, but not personally. If there is truth or merit in the criticism, try to learn from it. Otherwise, let it roll right off you.” Hillary Clinton

20). “You can’t please everyone, and you can’t make everyone like you.” Katie Couric

21). "Don't live life in the past lane." Samantha Ettus

What are some of your favorite quotes?