Monthly Archives: March 2017

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Your Home Is Vulnerable When You’re At Work–Secure It With These Tips

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Almost everyone secures their home when they go on vacation or plan to leave the property unattended for a long time. It makes a lot of sense because the house is vulnerable and you are nowhere in the vicinity. But, what about when you are at work? The reality is that it is a very similar situation, yet you won’t take the same security measures. In fact, some people don’t even think their home is vulnerable just because they are a few miles away. Homes are always vulnerable, which is why you need to take its security seriously when you go to work.

 

Here is a handful of tips that will help you make the transition.

 

Ask A Neighbour A Favour

 

Thieves love properties with no one watching because they are an easy target. What they hate is a noisy neighbour that is looking for trouble. Although they can be annoying, neighbours do add plenty of value when it comes to security. By keeping a lookout, they will automatically scare away intruders. And, most people are happy to do it because they will expect the same in return. All you have to do is ask them to keep their eyes out for anything suspicious and to call you if anything happens. It’s a simple tactic but very effective.

outside the 21st century museum of modern art in kanazawa, japan

Image file

 

Big Brother Is Watching

 

Another thing burglars hate is cameras. They hate them because it means there’s a higher chance of getting caught. Cameras these days are so good they can identify an intruder from quite a distance. Thieves can’t take this chance, not if they don’t want to go to jail. For those of you that can’t afford a system, dummy cameras are available. They are a gamble, but it is a gamble that tends to work because it uses the law of averages to its advantage. An intruder can never know if a camera works or not, so they won’t take the risk. Instead, they’ll look for a house with less security.

 

Eyes And Ears Everywhere

 

Should anyone get inside your house, you want to identify the person as soon as possible. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to install cameras inside the property as well as outside. Hidden cameras and nanny cams can watch your house and record anyone that enters that shouldn’t be there. And, you can even link them to your phone to get live updates. Eyes are excellent, but eyes and ears are better. Micro recorders are available at Spycentre and other stores, and they are an awesome purchase. They record any sound that takes place in the property, which means you’ll get the audio as well as the video. Audio and video should be more than enough for the police to ID an intruder and put them away.

 

You might think that while you are at work nothing will happen at home. That is wrong because your house is empty and open to attack, which is why you should secure it every time you leave the house.

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Choosing The Perfect Property… Even If It’s Temporary!

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A lot of people are having to avoid buying houses, nowadays. This is because of a surge in house prices, and all time lows in wages and salaries. Of course, people still need somewhere to live, though. And, this is where renting comes in. A large population of the world holds no claim to the ownership of their home. Instead, they simply pay a monthly rate to live there. But, this doesn’t mean that the property you choose to rent has to be anything but perfect. You just need to make the right choices along the way.

(Image Link)

 

The first part of this journey starts with some research. You need to figure out exactly what you want from your home. Some people don’t care about the inside of their place. Instead, they want to be a great location. Whereas others will care much more about the interior than their location. Think about what you need the most, and look for properties that have what you need. This will give you a good idea of the price you should be expecting to pay. If it’s too much, you might have to look somewhere a little cheaper.

 

Once you have an idea of the places and homes that you like, you can start talking to some estate agents. Companies like Houseen lettings and property services often have more houses on offer than they have on display. So, if you talk to loads of agents; you’ll be able to find properties that nobody else knows about. This can give you a great edge when it comes to viewing and securing the property. You’ll be surprised at the hidden options an agent can have waiting for you. These are usually only held back because they’re new and simply haven’t been posted anywhere yet.

(Image Credit)

 

You may have to be willing to make some compromises along the way with a journey like this. The only thing you should avoid changing is your key needs for the place. But, exact locations and styles of property can be changed without much hassle. Houses will often leave the market very soon after they enter it. A  lot of people don’t mind where they live. And, so, will take the first house they see. But, you have to make sure that the place isn’t too big of a compromise to make you hate it in the future.

(Image Source)

 

Once you think you’re ready to choose a place, you’ll have to make sure that the landlord is happy for you to live there. This process will be different at each estate agent. But, this is usually the time you have to hand over all of your personal details. So, make sure that you have everything ready for the estate agent when you get to this stage. This will make the whole thing much faster.
Hopefully, this will give you a good idea of what you need to be doing when it comes to choosing the perfect rented property. You need to make sure that your home is somewhere that you love; even if you don’t own the place. It’s not worth living somewhere that makes you unhappy.

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Depression: Do You Have It?

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The thing about life is that there will be times where we feel down. We might receive unpleasant news or perhaps have a bad day at work. There’s nothing we can do to always remain in a happy mood and in high spirits. We just have to accept that, at times, we’ll feel sad or upset about stuff.

 

Some people experience more downs than ups in their lives. If that sounds like you, it could be that you might be suffering from depression. Believe it or not, most people suffer from depressive stages in their lives. It can often stay with people most of their lives, or, if they’re lucky, they could only experience an episode of depression just once.

 

A lot of folks don’t realize they have depression until an extreme action or series of events occurs in their lives. In today’s blog post, you’ll learn more about depression and what you can do to combat it.

Image Obtained From Pexels

 

What is depression?

 

In a nutshell, depression makes it hard to lead a “normal” life. When a person suffers from it, emotions such as hopelessness and despair take over and leave them in permanently low spirits.

 

Learning more about depression can help you understand why you feel like you do and how to get help.

Symptoms of depression

 

Some sufferers describe having depression as feeling like they are permanently living under a black cloud. They’ll also say things like they feel nothing ever goes right for them, and that they just feel emotionally hollow inside.

 

Common symptoms of depression include:

 

  • Feeling helpless;
  • Finding daily activities uninteresting;
  • Unexplained weight gain or loss;
  • Problems sleeping;
  • Feeling angry and irritable, and having a low tolerance level;
  • Feeling physically drained and having no energy;
  • Inability to concentrate;
  • Behaving in a reckless manner (compulsive gambling, substance abuse, etc.);
  • Feeling suicidal.

 

There are also differing forms of depression. Many people get diagnosed with chronic depression, for instance. People with severe depression and extreme mood changes may even get diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

 

The weather can also be another form and cause of depression for thousands of individuals. S.A.D. or “Seasonal Affective Disorder” can make people feel depressed during the winter months of the year. Or, indeed, any of the other seasons. The Canada Pharmacy Online offers some telltale signs of S.A.D. in case you feel that is something you are suffering.

 

How to treat depression

 

Admitting that you have a problem and that you think you might be depressed is the first step to getting help. The next, of course, is to talk to your doctor about your depression. They’ll ask you some simple questions to diagnose your level of depression.

 

Once they do that, you can agree on an action plan with your doctor. Usually, that means starting a course of antidepressants such as fluoxetine (i.e. Prozac) and seeking cognitive behavioral therapy. You may also benefit from counseling to help you beat your depression.

 

Final thoughts

 

Depression might feel like you’re in a black hole that you’ll never escape, but that’s not the case at all. There are people out there that care and want to help you get better. Remember that there’s always someone to talk to, even if you feel like all hope is lost.
Good luck, and thank you for reading this article.

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Professional Cleaning At Home

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Urgh cleaning! Why does it seem to take up so much of our lives? Surely no matter how much you love to have a spick and span home, there are better things that you can do with your life? But its seem like it’s a constant battle, to get a professional standard of cleaning in your own home, by doing it yourself. But wait, what if you used the tips and trick that the professional did? Read on to find out more.

 

Base Boards

 

So one of the mortal dreaded cleaning jobs is making sure that the baseboards in your home are clean and dust free. You have to get on your hands and knees and gives over every square inch, right? Well, wrong actually. This is a job where you can really benefit from working smarter not harder.

Picture here

 

For example, did you know that you can get telescopic baseboard cleaning tools? Which mean all you need to do is walk around the edges of the room, and the tool will collect all the dust for you? You can even wet it slightly to get rid of stains.

 

Then, and this is a real professional gem of a tip, take some dryer sheets and rub them around the baseboards. Why? As they repel dust, so the job will last for longer, and be loads easier to do, the next time!

 

Treating wood

 

Another hugely time-consuming job is cleaning wooden items like floors in your home. Especially if they are made from expensive materials. Of course, you don’t want to leave anything that can cause a stain, but you also don’t want to be stressing that if you don’t catch a stain or mark immediately that it will be there for life.

 

But this is where some insider knowledge can really pay off. Instead of varnishing your wooden surfaces use a product like Real Milk Paint Company Wood Oil. This protects the wood, but also give you an easy clean surface to work with. Making, cleaning up any spills and keeping wooden items in good repair, a lot easier.

 

Robotic Vacuums

 

So, if you are cleaning as a profession, anything that takes a job away from you and gives you more time is a bonus. That is why robotic vacuum cleaners are such a good idea. These are little circular robots with built-in vacuums that you can program to run around your home independently.

 

That means the vacuuming will always be done because you can set them off when you are out of the house, and they do it all for you. Easy!

 

Drapes

 

Lastly, as we all know dust is the enemy of a clean home, and while you can use an air filter to help reduce this you will never get rid of it completely. In particular, it can stick to surfaces and items like drapes and be very tough to remove.

 

But of course, the pros know this, and have the perfect if a little unexpected solution. A hand towel. Yep, that’s right beating the drapes with a hand towel will dislodge way more dust that the diaper attachment on your vacuum. Then all you need to do is vacuumed up the dust when it falls to the floor.

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Protect Your Home While You Are Away

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Image source

 

The security of our home is a concern we all have before we head away, whether on business or a holiday. It’s that thing that gets us hot under the collar as we are sat in our seats on the plane, wondering if we did enough to protect our castle from an intruder. We question any weaknesses in our defense.

 

Well, before you go away on your next trip, here is a checklist of things you can do to better protect your home from coming under any harm.

Image source

 

Stay Away From Social Media

It only takes a like for your Facebook or Instagram posts to become visible to unwanted eyes, and leave your home open to attack. As such, make sure you avoid every temptation to increase your social standing until you have got back from your trip. Posting a picture of your morning view of white sandy beaches and endless oceans is an attractive proposition in a social media-addicted world, but while you’re busy being pleased with yourself, someone else may be alerted to the fact you aren’t home, which could wipe a smile off your face.

 

Over Sell Your Security System

If you don’t have one, then investing in the best home security system should be your very first move. Your second move should be to advertise your security system. Burglars cannot be deterred by a system they don’t know about. Of course, you could run the risk of telling a thief what system you are using and thus how to get past it. So why not buy window stickers that advertise a different company, and install fake security cameras, and anything else that will make them think twice. There are plenty of homes, so make yours the least attractive proposition to thieves.

 

Make It Look Like Someone Is Home

A great way to do this is by actually having someone look after your home while you are away. Perhaps your best friend has a daughter that wouldn’t mind a break from her parents and a bit of extra cash. If not, then buy a few timers and spread them out over your home. Don’t just limit them to the lights, though. Have the television come on, or the radio. The outside lights and the cellar. Anywhere and everywhere you can think of. Leave your car in the driveway. Have the gardener come in a couple of times that week. The cleaner too. The more activity there is at your home the better. Think Home Alone.

 

Your Post Is A Giveaway

Before you head off for a week or two, always head to the post office and ask them if they can hold your post. The same goes for milk deliveries and newspapers. The reason for this is simple. If you have a ton of letters poking out of your letter box or a hundred milk bottles, a thief is going to realize that something is up; namely the fact that no one is in. They’ll sense a weakness and they will pounce, so don’t let your post give you away.

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What’s Holding Your Career Back?

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If you feel like there’s something holding back your career, but you’re not sure exactly what it is, then you’re certainly not alone. Countless capable professionals find themselves stuck in a long job search, and feel cut off from that one big change they’re dreaming of. More often than not, these people are their own worst enemies. Here, I’ve listed some of the common things that hold people back from climbing the career ladder.

A Lack of Confidence

From Pexels

 

Lacking confidence in yourself can be a major barrier in all facets of life, especially when it comes to developing your career. You may be too afraid to apply for a more senior position, thinking there’s no point in making the effort if you’re not going to get it anyway. You could be scared of acting too “outside the box” at work in case your boss doesn’t take kindly to it. You may be in a mindset which means you depend on senior approval to follow through with any decision. Try to dispel these niggling worries! Employers and higher-ups are much more likely to value someone who will go for the things they want, take risks and stand by their decisions. Don’t be reckless, but don’t be too bent on playing it safe either!

Poor Written Communication

From Pexels

 

While written communication may not be an essential skill for the job you’re gunning for, it’s pretty much non-negotiable when you’re looking to advance your career. You need to remember that you’re going to be up against people who have a natural way with words, and the standards of resumes for executives are considerably higher than those for the entry-level job that you stepped into all those years ago. Have a thorough audit of your resume, and get rid of anything that could be weakening your pitch. Don’t force in any buzzwords, make sure there isn’t a single mistake in the grammar or spelling, and don’t stray into anything that’s irrelevant to the field. If you’re using a template cover letter, then make sure you’re tailoring it and tweaking the tone to each position you apply for. Company cultures can have more sway over a hiring decision than you may think.

Technophobia

From Pixabay

 

While I sympathize with people who aren’t all that confident with using technology, it’s an inconvenient truth that technophobia is going to hold you back in the modern job market. It’s 2017, and that means if you don’t have a LinkedIn page, need help with using new programs, or can’t show experiences which demonstrate an ability to take to new technology easily, then it’s going to be a black mark. A little technophobia is no big deal if you’ve reached a point that you’re happy with and you’re still able to hit your targets. However, if you’re looking to climb that corporate ladder, and you’re unable to use the same modern tools as everyone else, it’s really going to hold you back. Go out of your way to overcome your technophobia and develop your technical skills. The more you work at adopting tech, the easier it will be!

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Quick & Easy Energy Efficient Updates You Can Make In A Weekend

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When you’re on a tight budget (or even when you’re not) having an energy efficient home is important. Being energy efficient means that you’re helping to up the longevity of precious resources, and also, save yourself money. When it comes to creating a more energy efficient home, it’s the larger changes that tend to be seen as being able to make the biggest impact. While big investments like adding solar panels or buying all new home appliances do have an impact on your home’s energy efficiency, small changes can be just as effective.

If you’ve got a spare weekend – or even a day free – the below updates could make a big difference to your home. These are all things that are fairly easy to upgrade and shouldn’t take too long to complete or be too expensive. Want to increase the energy efficiency of your home? Then spend some time making the below updates – honestly, they’re more than worth the time and effort.

Picture from Flickr

Reprogram your thermostat

Most homes have programmable thermostats, and yet, few of us are taking full advantage of them. Spend 20-minutes or so setting up a thermostat schedule, reducing the amount of energy that your home uses. Think about the times of day when your home tends to get warmest or coldest and program the thermostat to ensure that your property stays at a comfortable temperature during these times. Don’t already have a programmable thermostat? Then perhaps now is the time to invest in one?

Insulate your attic

When it comes to keeping your home warm in the colder months and cool in the hotter months, adequate home insulation is crucial. So if your home isn’t already well insulated, especially in the attic, then now could be the time to change that. Adding more insulation to your attic is incredibly easy, as it’s just a case of picking up a roll or two of insulation from your local DIY store.

Update your home’s lighting

Did you know that when it comes to household lighting, not all lighting is born equal in terms of energy efficiency? If your property is fairly old, then the chances are that the lighting is too, and so, isn’t as energy efficient as it could be. The good news is that upgrading your lighting to be more energy efficient doesn’t have to be overly expensive or time-consuming. If you’re not skilled when it comes to electronics, then it may be best to use electrical contractors for this task, to ensure that your new lighting options are safely fitted and wired in. This shouldn’t be too expensive, so don’t stress about the cost – just think of how much money energy efficient lighting will save you in the long run.

Get in the professionals

When it comes to being more energy efficient, you might find bringing some electrical contractors into your home can be beneficial. Often enough, it can be handy to have a professional look at what electric fixtures and fittings you currently have in and around your home. They can then make suggestions and updates where needed in order to make your home more energy-efficient as a result.

Replace AC air filters

Got an air conditioning system in place in your home? If you haven’t recently changed the filters, then now could be the perfect time to do so. You see, an air conditioning system that has to move air through dirty filters has to work much harder, meaning that more energy is used. To reduce the amount of energy that your air conditioning system uses, make sure to regularly change the filters. It might only be a small thing, but it can make a big difference.

The above tips and ideas are ideal for doing when you’ve got some spare time at home as they’re quick and easy to do and don’t tend to cost too much.

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The Business Revival

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Thousands of business fail every year, and they aren’t always new starting businesses. They are sometimes tried and tested ones that just become gradually out of date and stop being viable. There are many essentials a business needs to be successful, but it is always possible to pull a business back from near death and breath new life into it, reviving it to past glories. To pull your business from the brink of collapse you need to be ready to fight and give it your all in the process. It can be done, but it needs to be done in a way that keeps the business strong in the long term too, not just short-term, otherwise you are just delaying the inevitable. Here are some hints and tips to follow, you may already be doing some, but they can give you ideas nonetheless.

 

Advertise

 

If nobody knows about your product or service you offer then they can’t buy it. It is as simple as that. You can start advertising to ensure people see it and have the change. Focus on your local area first. Don’t be scared to use old tactics like handing out leaflets or putting posters around town. You can also use local seo services to target people close by and ensure they know your business exists. Advertising is more money of course, but it can pull new people in who make the difference to your business and allow it to survive. You can do it yourself, write quality posts for social media and blogs and post them with links back to your site. Get out and hand out leaflets and talk about your products and services. Breath life into what you do and be passionate, the rest will follow.

Source

Change Your Product/Service

 

If your business isn’t doing so well it could be because you need to change what you offer. Perhaps what you used to do is no longer tenable, so consider doing more. For example, If you run a travel business, consider sending people to a new location. Change what you do. Increase the value of what you are giving people. The better the service or product the more people who buy it. Think outside the box. Check on your competitors, maybe one of them is offering something way better. Copy it. That’s how business works. The survival of the fittest.

 

Cut Costs
Advertising costs money, as does changing a whole product or designing a new service. If you cut costs you can free up money to do more of these things and ensure you business stops hemorrhaging capital. It could mean to put suppliers on hold, stop buying lots of materials. If the work is not there offer your employees time off unpaid, some may need it or take it anyway. If things are really bad you can make some redundancies, just remember to follow all other options first or you could end up in trouble in court if you can’t show due diligence. It is a horrible route to take, but one that is necessary if you want to ensure your business survives.

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It’s Easier Than You Think To Propel Your Career Forward

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When it comes to jobs, we can all sometimes feel as if we’re in a rut. It’s that feeling you get when you’ve mastered something, but you don’t see any opportunities to move onto the next challenge and the next pay grade. The wheels are spinning, but the rubber isn’t hitting the road.

 

According to a study by David Neal and Wendy Wood called Habits – A Performance Repeat, our careers are actually defined by our habits. They say that 45 percent of the time we spend at work, we’re doing things that involve habitual, or everyday behaviours, and that it is these habits that define our success or failure in the workplace.

 

These so-called career habits take up roughly 3.8 hours a day for men and 3.5 hours a day for women and so getting a handle on them and putting them to our advantage is essential. From the website we look at when we’re supposed to be working to our willingness to look for new jobs; it all makes a difference toward how far our careers progress.

 

Here are some habits that can boost your career and take you to where you want to go.

 

Always Arrive 30 Minutes Early

 

According to a study conducted by YouGov, around 19 percent of workers are late to work at least once per week. Unfortunately, arriving late to work simply won’t cut it anymore, thanks to increased competition in the labour market.

Pixabay

 

This is why so many people are beginning to arrive at work 30 minutes early, giving them time to plan for the day ahead and making sure that they don’t turn up after they are supposed to.

 

Search For Alternative Jobs In Your Industry

 

It’s a common feature of working for a specific company that your pay will rarely rise more than the rate of inflation. Companies aren’t keen on increasing the pay of their existing staff, often because they assume that they won’t take the plunge and leave for another company. Therefore, it’s worth asking yourself a question like: “what are jobs near me paying?” Usually, you’ll find that by simply moving company, you’re able to secure a pay increase over and above what you’d be able to negotiate with your existing firm. If you want your pay to increase rapidly during the first few years of your career, keep looking around for new opportunities and businesses willing to pay you a higher salary.

 

Add Excessive Value

 

The whole point of going to work is to add value. You need to create revenue higher than your income to justify your employment in the first place. The greater the difference between what you earn and what you bring in the better as it puts you in a far better bargaining position. Those who go above and beyond and bring in double their salary in revenue are often in a good position to ask for a pay rise, especially if that pay increase will incentivize them to work even harder and bring in even more money for the company.

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Life For Rent: The Benefits Of Being The Best Landlord

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Flickr Image

 

If you have the money behind you, becoming a landlord can be a fantastic way to increase your earnings. Yes, there’s no denying that you’ll need the money to buy the property initially. But, within a few years of renting, you should have made that back and some. Unless you entrust your property to a renting agency, though, being a landlord is not a hands-off job. Happy tenants are more likely to look after your property. Plus, they’ll give you a good reference at the end of their tenancy. That’s why it’s important you do everything right. So, how can you be the best landlord possible?

ALWAYS BE AVAILABLE

The first step is to make sure your tenants can reach you when they need to. Of course, we all have to work. Let your tenants know, from the off, what hours you work. That way, they’ll know when you’re not available. Other than that, make sure they can contact you should they need to. With a bit of luck, there won’t be any emergencies. But, if there is, you need to be the first port of call. Your tenants can’t act without your say so, after all. If it helps, buy a cheap phone you can use for your rented property alone. Make sure, too, that the tenants know your email address. And if they do contact you, get back to them as soon as possible. An absent landlord is never a good thing!

 

DON’T CUT CORNERS
It’s also important that you don’t cut corners. If a problem arises, get the professionals to deal with it sharp. Keep the numbers of electrician services and anything else you might need. Save them in the phone you bought for the purpose! While you may be able to patch things up in your home, it’s important you don’t do that in your rented property. Your tenants are paying good money to live there, so you can’t afford to let things slide. Not to mention that cutting corners could lead you to spending more money in the long run. And, you would be liable if one of your tenants received an injury because of your botch job. Leaks, boiler problems and electrical faults are examples of jobs for professionals.

KEEP ASIDE A FEW MONTHS RENT

Of course, we don’t all have the money to deal with major repairs from the off. That’s why it’s important you set aside the first few months rent. Put it straight into a savings account, preferably one with high interest. If you don’t have to use it, you stand to earn a little from it. But, you know it’s there if anything happens. That way, you won’t have to worry about scraping together money that you don’t have. It’ll take off a lot of stress if there is a problem. These savings will also help with the matter of getting issues resolved fast. Don’t leave your tenants without hot water because you can’t afford to get the boiler checked!

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