There are several reasons workers pursue specialist certifications. Obtaining a certification confirms the individual’s high level of experience and provides prestige. There is, of course, the simple fact a professional certificate can also yield a salary bump and normally elevates them above their fellow workers for promotions.

However, were you aware that there are also advantages for your company as a whole? Below are just four reasons helping employees make a professional certificate could be advantageous for your company:

Leads to happier workers — that stick around

Assisting your staff in getting industry designations like a Project Management Certification reveals to them your interest in having them be the very best they could be. Individuals are happier working for associations who are spending time and money on their professional improvement. Happy employees are more likely to work longer at the company which in turn reduces one of the biggest headaches and expenditures — employee turnover.

Encourages greater peace of mind

Licensed workers learn the importance of adhering to specific professional standards. You can more easily and confidently rely on your team’s capacity to satisfy business benchmarks and count on the work being of a much higher and more consistent quality. That peace of mind is well worth investing in. Managers who promote professional development have the ability to acquire the most out of their team members. 

Gives your clients greater confidence

Allowing your employees to earn a professional certificate will inform your clients that your company retains its staff to the highest professional standards and may take excellent care of them. Your customers will feel safer and more secure knowing they’re in accredited hands.

Boosts productivity

Studies by a variety of organizations have proven that employees with a specialist certification tend to be more effective. That’s because certificates better prepare workers to deal with day-to-day challenges and get the most out of new technologies. Licensed workers often work more efficiently than uncertified colleagues, and their presence can aid in improving the productivity of team projects.

Through no fault of their own, new investors hear the words multifamily property investing and instantly create a stigma; they are immediately convinced that their experience, or absence thereof, would keep them from getting involved in the multifamily industry. After all, its very name suggests a degree of technicality that only experienced investors could try, but I digress. Multifamily property investing isn’t any more difficult than the most basic property investment. In fact, I’d assert that multifamily property investing is maybe the very best way for new investors to start in the industry.

Let’s Look at a Few of the most important reasons new investors should think about buying multifamily properties:

• Gives people the capacity to reside in one unit whilst renting out the rest.
• Tenants will help investors pay down their mortgage.
• Reduced upkeep expenses.
• With numerous tenants, investors are able to mitigate leasing risks.

Multifamily properties have a tendency to come with greater financing options than single-family houses because they are considered more risk-averse.

For starters, multifamily real estate investing awards savvy entrepreneurs the capability to simultaneously live in one unit whilst renting out the remainder. Should you invest in a two-unit construction, as an instance, there’s no reason you can’t reside in one half of the property whilst renting the other. In the right market, the money that you accumulate in rent could offset the amount you spend on the mortgage and then some. 

Besides getting your renters to pay down the mortgage, multifamily real estate investment equates with much less maintenance than that your typical single-family leasing unit. Even though you may have multiple units, chances are you simply have to worry about one roof, one HVAC unit, 1 yard and a single foundation. Multifamily property investors do not have to run the gambit of mending over several big-ticket items; you don’t have to worry about fixing more than one roof, yet you are collecting many rents. And while there are exceptions, done properly, you can significantly decrease the total amount of maintenance to expect on a property.

For those investors with large dreams, which I trust is everyone reading this, multifamily homes are also a great way to scale your own rental portfolio. If for nothing else, it is a whole lot simpler to acquire a six-unit apartment building than six individual single-family homes. Buying six different properties means six unique closings; that indicates you’re signing six unique contracts, shutting six unique escrows and working with six unique sellers. However much experience you have, something like that will take some time. A multifamily property, on the flip side, could give you as many resources with just investing a sixth of time in this particular scenario.

Maybe even more importantly, acquiring six units through a multifamily property will most likely require one loan. In buying six single-family homes, you’ll probably need multiple financing options. In the amount of time it might require you to just receive approval from only 1 creditor, you might potentially have a multifamily unit under contract and ready to move on.

For any progressive business, organization or business, growth and expansion are critical. So, the training of its personnel is essential. Therefore versatile, easy to use learning management processes are vital. However, over time, your teaching and coaching procedures may begin to fail the test of time. When monitoring your operations, you will observe a few aspects that will indicate that your organization or business needs a learning management software.

You Spend Money Training Personnel Remotely

If you are sending out your teams for training at a cost, you need to implement a standard internal procedure to assist you in handling inhouse pieces of training. Especially if your business has branches in different places, it is easier to use a pre-installed training system that has a user portal where employees can log in at no cost. Here they will be trained, and at the same time, you receive instant feedback from all the company’s subsidiaries without incurring overhead costs.

Difficult To Coach Specialising Trainees

In your teams, you may have personnel who require specialized pieces of training. Therefore one-on-one training them would mean holding separate training sessions for each person. As the business expands, this process will become very tedious, expensive, and almost endless. To curb this nightmare, you can set up a well established learning management system where each person accesses the portal for a specific course they require, take tests, and get certified online.

The Requirement For Compliance Training In Your Industry

Various industries require compliance training. Be it banking, oil, and gas, construction, medicine, transport, among other sectors; compliance training is inevitable. As you continue expanding your business, it becomes tiresome to move around all business subunits training your staff. The time it takes to compile lists of untrained personnel, and certifying can be shocking. Therefore, a well-articulated training management system will help single out personnel who are not trained and promptly highlight the ones who require a refresher course. It becomes easy for your business to avoid paying non-compliance penalties because the learning management system enables you to schedule these pieces of training in good time.

Impossibility of Integrating Your Training Systems With Mobile Platforms

Many people prefer using online systems that they can easily access from their mobile phones and tablets. An ingenious system that allows the user to access it from anywhere using any device is advantageous because several trainees can access it at the same time informally. Rigid systems that trainees can only access within a specific micro-network limit the primary goal of knowledge transfer. Therefore, if such a system is improved to run on various mobile devices with open network access, more trainees will be reached, and you will meet the primary objective without having trainees in a formal classroom.

Obsolete Or Ineffective Training Platforms

Progress of your organization and getting an edge in your niche is significant. Investing in training programs that do not yield actionable results is discouraging because it will be a loss to the business. Lack of visible impacts on the company after training staff implies a dead learning system that requires an immediate overhaul. Such a system will not only be wasting the company’s financial resources directly but also frittering precious production time by sitting for obsolete training.

Final Word

Any learning management software that does not offer flexible and understandable means of use will be inappropriate for a progressive business.

Versatile and affordable learning management systems are available in the market. You will not fail to find a system that suits you at a price within your reach.

Comparing the price of a learning management system to the costly fines, lack of knowledge, and loss of business; you better put in place a reliable learning management system, instead of incurring these unnecessary costs

Few people can say that they never experience work stress. Your situation in work is stressful because you work under pressure and have to conform to deadlines. Often, you have to work with people with whom you do not see eye to eye.

The stress factor is normal in a work environment. However, it can go beyond being typical and become a threat to your health. Stress, combined with poor diet, can lead to conditions like hypertension and diabetes. It can also lead to depression.

If your work stress has reached abnormal levels, what should you do?

1. Leave your job at the office

This is a sweeping statement that is easy to make but not so easy to implement. When talking about leaving your job at the office, it includes the stress it causes. You could say that you’re already doing this because you don’t bring work home. But it’s not your work we’re talking about here; it’s your job.

Do you bring the frustrations of your day home with you? If you do, you’re likely lashing out at the wrong people. Instead of addressing the person at work who is causing you stress, you take it out on the people closest to you.

2. Unwind

Stress takes a physical toll on your body. You might feel that your muscles are very tense, especially those in your back and neck. This can, in turn, lead to tension headaches that are hard to shake.

There are several ways to get your body to relax. You could start with a hot bath. Using some lavender products in your bath is also good for relieving stress. 

A deep massage machine can help to relax the tense muscles in your body. What you should not do is turn to substances like alcohol to help you unwind. While they might seem effective, the long-term consequences can be far-reaching.

3. Talk about it

A burden shared is a burden halved. Bottling your stress up and not finding a release for your feelings is bad for you. It has adverse physical and psychological effects.

One of the best ways to deal with stress is by talking about it. You might choose to confide in a friend or family member. They may have some advice to offer you about how to cope with what is happening. Even if they don’t, the mere fact that they’re prepared to listen will help. If you feel that the situation is getting out of hand and you are not coping, it might be time to seek professional help. A therapist can help you learn how to process and deal with the things that are making you feel stressed.

4. Look after yourself

Stress harms your body, so you need to look after it. Here are some things you need to do:

Eat healthily

Make sure you are eating a diet filled with wholesome foods containing the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals your body needs to function optimally. Avoid processed foods as they contain many additives and colorants that are bad for you.

Sleep well

Even if you’re managing to get enough sleep, work stress can have a negative impact on the quality of your sleep. You’ll wake up feeling tired and struggle to get going in the morning. Take measures to make sure you not only sleep through the night but that you sleep well.

Exercise

Frequent exercise helps you process the stress you’re feeling. A lot of people report that they can work through their problems while they exercise. Others say that exercise distracts them from their problems.

As a premed student, you have probably come across qualified applicants who failed to get into a medical school they first, second, and possibly third time they applied. Who knows, you may even be a reapplicant yourself. There are several things that determine whether you get in or not, and your MCAT results are one of them. A strong GPA and meaningful recommendations letters are among them as well. 

If you are a premed student trying to do everything right to get into medical school, preparing yourself is highly critical. Study hard, manage your time wisely, and take the necessary tests that will prepare you for your exam. The MCAT test prep is especially important if you want to be ready for your qualifying exam. If you are a rejected applicant, or when the time comes, and you apply to a medical school, here are some of the tips that will help you get accepted. 

Be Realistic About Where You Apply

One of the most significant mistakes most people make is applying to a few medical schools. Your family and fellow premed students may tell you how good you are and that you should aim high. While there is nothing wrong with this advice, you simply need to be realistic. To begin with, the competition is very high, and only a few are accepted. Unless you have impeccable test scores, application letters, recommendations letters, and experiences, you need to cast your net to a wide range of medical schools. Do not make the mistake of overestimating your competitiveness and only apply to the top-ranked schools. Consider schools that are not super selective. 

You Need Some Clinical Experience

Given that you are trying to get into a medical school, it is important that you are able to demonstrate how your experience fits with the career you have chosen. As much as research is essential, clinical exposure is more so. You may have a great list of accomplishments, but you need to demonstrate some clinical exposure, such as volunteering in a clinic or participating in the premedical program. Unless you have spent some actual time in the clinical arena, convincing the committee to pick you will not be easy. 

Submit a Persuasive Application

Including persuasive materials in your application can help you greatly. Whether you are applying to the most prestigious school or not, your personal statements and descriptions need to convince the committee that you are a worthy applicant. This is more important during the initial application when they decide whether to extend an interview invitation. The decision will be based on the materials you send.

Do Not Submit Your Application Late

Even when you are a great application, submitting the application late could ruin your chances of getting accepted. Every year, the AMCAS sets a date to send in applications, and you need to submit yours as close to that date as possible. The committee will only review the application once they receive all the materials. Sending it early means that the committee will review it early and you’ll be a smaller pool of applicants. 

Once you reach the interview stage, the interview will be a major determinant of whether you are successful or not. You need to have emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills if you want to ace the interview. Nervous applicants who are not comfortable expressing themselves always under-perform during these interviews. 

It may be easier for you if you practice talking about yourself in an interview setting well before then. Try to explain the experiences and motivations that have influenced your decisions so far. Do not forget that every school will consider you as an individual and you can do all the tips above to improve your chances. 

What’s the difference between a bank and a credit union? Which one should you pick for your financial needs?

At first glance, banks and credit unions seem similar. They offer checking and savings accounts. They have ATMs, debit cards and checkbooks. They issue CDs and offer money-market accounts, and typically, both will issue auto loans and home mortgage loans, as well.

But dig deeper, and the differences are stark.

A bank is a for-profit corporation. Many, but not all, are publicly traded on the stock market. One of its primary aims is to turn a profit for its stockholders. It judges activities based on what’s profitable for the company, and what’s not. It spends money on advertising, lobbying and assessing risks.

A credit union is a non-profit organization. Its primary goal is to serve its members, not its stockholders. If it generates excess money, it returns this to its members in the form of dividends. In most cases, any member of the credit union can campaign to serve on its Board of Directors. 

Deposits at all federal credit unions, just like federal banks, are insured and backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.

Typically, fees and loan rates at credit unions are lower. Many people turn to credit unions to avoid ATM fees, checking account fees, and other nickle-and-diming treatment they receive from some banks.

However, services at credit unions may also be more limited. Some credit unions don’t offer business accounts, for example.

Which should you choose? If a credit union offers the services you need, you’ll typically enjoy lower fees by choosing that route. However, check out the specific offerings of the branches and businesses in your area, to find the one that’s right for you. Conversely, if you are looking for a specialized payment plan like a short term loan you can use online resources like the Personal Money Network as many banks and credit unions may not have the features or offerings that online sources can provide.

Are you planning to start a small business? You don’t need a whole lot of capital, a college degree or years of experience but you do need a strong plan and the motivation to see it through.

It helps to be aware of some of the risks and obstacles you may face on the journey and how to minimize them. The following advice will help you to understand more about what it takes to be successful.

Be clear about why you want your own business

Being a small business owner is not for everyone. It can be very challenging, hard work, financially difficult and there is often a lack of certainty.

The upside is that it can provide great satisfaction, you can run it the way you want to and you can earn more than you would earn being an employee. It’s important to be very clear about why you want to have your own business and go into it with your eyes wide open.

Know your niche market

You must know who will want to buy what you are selling. It’s no use offering a product or service that hardly anyone wants. The more you know about your ideal customer, the clearer you will be about your location, branding, marketing and pricing.

Do your homework on regulations

Business rules and regulations can vary significantly from state to state. You need to be aware of laws such as those relating to workplace safety, unemployment and taxation.

For instance, if you’re a property owner and your fire alarm system and/or water-based fire protection system is not operational, state law requires you to implement a fire watch. Fast Fire Watch Guards is company that provides security guards for fire watch and has offices nationwide.

Check out your competition

Know your competitors, understand what they do and what you do better. You must know how your offering is better or different to market it effectively.

Take advice from experts

Source certain advisers early on, such as an accountant and a lawyer, to make sure you set up your business in the right way. A lawyer will be able to give you advice about the best possible structure for your business, whether this is a sole proprietorship, a partnership, or a limited liability company.

An accountant who understands budgets helps you to estimate your income and expenditure and decide on prices to make sure you will make a good profit.

A great marketer can help you to make sure you develop a good marketing plan right from the start. A website developer can help you to set up an attractive, user-friendly business website.

Formulate your business plan

Your business plan is a blueprint that will guide you. If you want to seek support from a financial institution, a business plan is a must. In this case, it has to be detailed but if you’re not looking for financial support, it simple plan that gives clarity about what you want to do and how you hope to achieve it is sufficient.

Make sure you have insurance in place

Just as you need to be aware of statutory rules and regulations, your insurance must be in place before you open your doors. At the very least, you will need Public Liability Insurance to protect you if people are injured on your premises.

There are many other types of insurance too, such as fire and theft insurance as well as income protection for you as the business owner. It’s wise to find a good insurance broker and get some advice about what insurance you need to have for your business. 

Whether you operate a call center, you develop new products, you offer tangible goods, or you provide specific services, if you want to ensure the success of your business, you need to invest in the right type of equipment. 

It goes without saying that having the right equipment ensures you can deliver the products or services you offer your clients. But if you really want to be as successful as possible and grow your business you want to do more than just have the proper equipment; you want to have the best equipment possible. No matter what your budgeting restrictions may be, skimping on the quality of your equipment is one thing you definitely don’t want to do. Here’s a look at five reasons why investing in high-quality equipment is vital for your overall success. 

Improved Safety

Your employees are the cornerstone of your business. Dealing with customers, manufacturing products, delivering services; your staff ensures proper operation. Without them, your entire business would crumble. 

Given the importance of your staff, it’s vital that you make every effort to secure their health and well-being. By supplying your team with high-quality equipment you can dramatically improve workplace safety. Whether it’s desks and chairs, back braces, hand trucks, dollies, scaffolding, or even headphones, providing your staff with high-end equipment that they can rely on will improve their comfort, minimize the risk of injuries, and improve workplace satisfaction. All of these things combined can increase employee retention, which plays a vital role in your overall success. 

Cuts Costs

Many business owners are under the assumption that using less expensive equipment will have a positive impact on their bottom line; however, nothing could be further from the truth. As the old saying goes, ‘you get what you pay for’. Cheap equipment is poorly made and won’t last as long, which means that you’ll end up having to replenish more frequently. Poor-quality supplies prevent your employees from doing their job efficiently, which reduces output. Low-end gear also increases the risk of workplace injuries and illnesses, which can lead to more workers’ comp claims and higher insurance costs. The bottom line: using cheap equipment might cost less initially, but in the long run, it will actually cost you more. 

Enhanced Efficiency

Another reason to invest in higher-end equipment: increased efficiency. Higher quality tools, gear, supplies, and any other products that are used to deliver the products and service you offer can yield more powerful results. For example, a high-end forklift will be able to lift more weight and perform more functions than a low-end model. When your equipment offers more powerful results, your efficiency improves; and when your efficiency improves, so does your overall success. 

Increased Credibility

A safer workplace, faster results, improved efficiency; all of these things combined increase the credibility of your business. High-end equipment better equips your staff so that the can perform their key functions, which improves productivity; they’ll be able to deliver better results faster, which will dramatically improve customer satisfaction and the reputation of your business. When your business is credible, you become an industry expert; the first source your target audience thinks of when they’re in need of the products and services you offer. 

Summing It Up

If you want to be as successful as possible, you definitely want to stretch your budget as far as you possible can so that you can invest in high-end equipment and supplies for your staff. In doing so, you’ll be able to boost your profit margin and increase the overall success of your company. 

Every relationship has its problems. Even the most dedicated couples go through trials and tribulations. The key to a healthy relationship is effective communication. Knowing how to tackle problems when they do arise will allow you and your partner come out on the other side even stronger than you were before. 

Here’s a look at four of the most common problems couples experience in their relationship and how to effectively solve them. 

Financial Troubles

Finances are the leading source of fights amount married couples; overspending, not saving, and keeping separate bank accounts are just some of the financial woes that plague marriages. In fact, financial stress is actually a leading factor that contributes to divorce. To avoid the stress that financial hardship can put on your relationship, make sure that you and your partner have open dialogues. Talk about your priorities and establish a budget together. By doing so, you can offset serious arguments – and serious financial problems. 

Jealousy 

Even if you’re in a relationship with an awesome person, you still may experience feelings of jealousy from time to time. In fact, it’s perfectly normal for the Green Eyed Monster to make an appearance when someone is making eyes at your other half, or when your spouse has started working with an attractive co-worker of the opposite sex. But, if you are constantly worrying about your partner and always worry that he or she is cheating on you, then you’re both going to end up being unhappy. Trust your partner – and trust yourself, and consider establishing boundaries (but do make sure those boundaries are reasonable). If you’re in a solid relationship, you shouldn’t have any reason to feel jealous. 

Trust Issues

Trust is the foundation of a lasting relationship. If you feel like you can’t trust your partner, then you’re going to hit more rocky roads than smooth ones. For most people, trust issues are the result of past relationships; a previous boyfriend cheated on them, or a past girlfriend left them for another man, for example. Those trust issues can be carried over into new relationships, and they can make things terrible for both parties. If you’re having trust issues, remember that you need to let yourself trust your partner; it may be hard to do, but you have to stop constantly blaming him or her for things that more than likely aren’t happening. If your partner is having issues trusting you, make an effort to gain her or his trust; for example, show up on-time, make phone calls when you say you’re going to, and always be open and honest. 

Fertility Problems

Fertility issues can take a toll on every person who struggles with them – as well as the relationship, as a whole. Couples who are having difficulty conceiving often blame the other partner, or fear that their other half is going to leave them because they can’t have children. 

If you and your partner have been having difficulty conceiving, know that there are options available to you. Fertility treatments are an option, for example; while IVF cost can be high, there are financing options available that can make the treatments more affordable. If IVF isn’t an option for you, you could always consider adoption; there are millions of children who are looking for their forever home. Adoption not only changes the lives of children; it also changes the lives of the adoptive parents. 

Summing It Up

By knowing how to effectively handle the most common relationship problems, you and your partner can successfully overcome the trials and tribulations that are bound to come your way. 

If you break it down, the hiring process is made up of many stages. Each one is equally important if you plan to recruit, select, and appoint the right person for the job.

To make sure each step runs smoothly, your organization should have a clear policy on how employees are hired. The recruitment plan should be approved by the department head, the HR and finally the CEO. It should be within the recruitment budget and as per company policy.

No system is perfect, and there is always room for improvement. Here are some ideas for improving certain aspects of the hiring process:

1. Advertising

One of the most effective ways to ensure you’re accessing an extensive pool of applicants is good advertising. Limiting yourself to one or two methods of advertising can prevent you from reaching the right person.

Today, just about everything is done online. Your job advertising should be done this way too. You can use an online tool which will advertise on your behalf.

The tools have millions of subscribers and can reach more possible applicants than you can. Your company should also utilize its social media presence to advertise, making use of multiple platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

Investigate the application process. Is it easy for people to submit their resumes if they want to apply for the job? If the process is slow or complicated, people won’t bother to finish it. Make sure you keep things streamlined and convenient for both yourself and potential employees.

2. Interviewing

Recruitment research has made it apparent that while the resume gives you a partial picture of the candidate, an interview should fill in the blanks. It is your chance to interact with the applicant in person. How they respond during the interview gives a clearer picture of what type of person they are.

As the interviewer, you need specific skills. Can you tell if an applicant is lying during the interview? Hone your sixth sense so that you don’t have the wool pulled over your eyes.

In addition to the answers the candidate supplies, watch their body language as it gives a lot away. The verbal response constitutes only 10% of the answer. The other 90% is conveyed through non-verbal communication such as body language.

Structure the interview into three phases. The first phase is comprised of the questions you’ve drawn up beforehand. Have an idea of what kind of responses you’re expecting. You can even score the candidate on how they tackled the answer.

The second phase is where you give the candidate the chance to talk about themselves or ask you any follow-up questions they might have. This is a more informal interaction that allows you a better opportunity to see the candidate’s natural disposition.

The third phase should include a practical test, assignment, or scenario. It gives you an accurate indication of the candidate’s level of knowledge and what their problem-solving style is.

3. Induction program

The recruitment process is not over until the new employee is fully settled in his role. Once you’ve made an offer and it’s been accepted, it’s your employee’s first day on the job. You must have a program to get them on board. Throwing them into the deep end on the first day is seldom a good idea.

Provide them with an induction kit that has everything from company policies to org chart. Make them spend time with the HR team and run a company presentation for them to start the induction. If possible, conduct the induction program in a batch.

Assemble all the new employees under one roof. The diversity in terms of their previous work experience, departments, age groups and positions will help them mingle and create a positive environment.  

The way you introduce a new employee to the workplace says a lot to them about what kind of employer you are. Making a new worker feel welcome helps them to feel like they’re part of a team from the first day.

You cannot expect an employee to perform at their maximum potential if they don’t yet know what you expect of them. Take the person through their job description and offer them any practical training they need. Track the performance of the employee in the first few weeks to make sure they are managing their job well.