Business

How much do you know about the types of employee benefits most valuable to workers? Whether you own a company or sit in a corporate C-suite, are you in tune with the employees who make the company run? Hopefully, you are. Your company’s benefits package may tell the story.

Employee benefits have been the backbone of worker compensation in this country for decades. Health insurance and retirement plans are the traditional benefits most companies start with. From there, companies add things like:

• dental and vision plans
• paid time off (PTO)
• life insurance
• disability and accident insurance.

Benefits added above and beyond health insurance and retirement plans are considered voluntary benefits. There are a lot of them. But do you know what employees say are the top five benefits for 2023? Here they are, based on recent research by Remote:

5. Family Health Insurance

For the record, Remote’s survey was conducted among 10,000 full-time U.S. and European workers. The fact that most European workers have access to single-payer healthcare affects the results. That said, the number five most important benefit is family health insurance.

This particular benefit pertains mainly to American workers. It is a big one, according to Dallas-based BenefitMall. As a brokerage general agency, BenefitMall carriers strive to offer the best family plans. They say family plans are among the most popular of all insurance benefits.

4. Company-Sponsored Retirement Plan

It is no surprise that employees on both sides of the Atlantic would value a company-sponsored retirement plan. Government-based retirement plans, like America’s Social Security, are not intended to be an employee’s sole source of income in retirement. Government benefits are supplemental benefits. Employees are smart enough to know that said benefits will not amount to much when the time comes.

3. Flexible Work Hours

The #3 most important benefit has nothing to do with compensation, health insurance, or retirement. What is it? Flexible working hours. Experts say that the importance of flexible scheduling has come into his own since the COVID pandemic

COVID related shutdowns gave employees a golden opportunity to test out flexible scheduling for themselves. Not only did it work, but it also worked well. So much so that employees are asking for flexible work hours at a rate of 77%. Many of them are willing to give up salary and other benefits in exchange for flexibility.

2. Private Health Insurance

Just as family health insurance pertains mostly to U.S. workers, private health insurance pertains mainly to European workers. Consider UK workers as an example. All UK citizens have access to government-paid healthcare through the National Health System (NHS). Those who can afford private health insurance can also seek out private healthcare services as they see fit.

This is an important benefit to European workers looking to bypass their government health systems for whatever reason. More than 77% say that private health insurance is important to them.

1. Overtime Pay

Believe it or not, Remote’s data dictates that just over 79% of the surveyed employees want overtime pay. It is not clear how such a benefit would apply to European workers. But here in the States, salaried workers are not eligible for overtime. Overtime pay is only offered to hourly workers. Therefore, it wouldn’t be a surprise if lower and middle managers were the ones asking for overtime pay here.

Health insurance and a retirement plan are still high on the list of most desired benefits. But employees are looking for other benefits, too. If this top five list surprises you, wouldn’t you like to see the remainder of the top 10?

 

Managing a warehouse is not an easy feat. After all, it’s up to you to organize your inventory and ensure that everything that’s coming in and going out is carefully monitored and tracked. That’s why proper maintenance is essential to ensure everything stays as organized as possible. Here are the four golden rules of maintaining a successful warehouse, and making it as efficient as possible.

Prioritize Lack of Errors

When it comes to running a warehouse, the most important aspect is avoiding errors. Even the slightest mistake can have a substantial butterfly effect on the overall organization of your warehouse. As such, it’s important that you carefully monitor your operations in order to ensure accuracy.

One of the best ways to do this is to monitor KPIs for the logistics industry like picking accuracy. By carefully observing your metrics you’ll be able to measure your accuracy, and note where you have room to make improvements.

Create a Logical Layout

In order to make life easy for your pickers, you’ll need to make sure that everything is laid out in a logical sense. Beyond having enough room for your stock, you should also make sure that everything is within reaching distance for your pickers to grab. You should also consider the size of any forklifts or dollies which will need to be utilized in your warehouse.

If they don’t have enough room to pass, it could lead to a serious accident. Always consider space first, and then consider where things should be laid out logistically. For example, the items that you need on hand more often should be kept at the front of the warehouse. Everything in the back can be larger items and rarer orders.

Label Everything

One thing you should never do is leave your inventory unlabeled. Even though you may know what it is, not everyone else in your warehouse does. Labeling doesn’t just help you stay organized either. It can help your workers stay safe and avoid dangerous scenarios like unknowingly exposing themselves to hazardous materials. In addition to detailed labels, everything should also have a barcode. Doing so will significantly speed up your process and reduce the risk of order errors.

Make Technology Your Friend

The best way to keep an organized warehouse is to use a warehouse management system. In other words, keeping your warehouse organized on a manual system is not a realistic long-term plan, particularly if you’re planning on expanding your inventory. The sooner you can move towards technology, the faster you can get orders out, the easier it will be to find your inventory, and above all, you’ll find yourself with much less missing inventory.

The sooner you put these tips to use, the sooner you’ll find yourself with an organized and efficient warehouse that provides the right tools for your employees to get their jobs done all while keeping your customers happy.

 

If you work in the world of digital marketing, be it for your own business or as a marketing staff member, you know how important certain KPIs are for the success of your campaigns. One of these vital KPIs is click-through-rate.

Whether you’re wanting to get more clicks on the ads that you’re placing online or you’re wanting to get a higher number of people to click through to the emails you send them, knowing how to improve your click-through-rate can help take your marketing campaigns to the next level.

To help you see how this can be done, here are three tricks to help you get a higher click-through-rate.

Consider What They See First

When it comes to getting people to click on something, you have to spend the majority of your time thinking about what they’re going to be seeing first. If their first impression with your ad or email isn’t one that makes them want to learn more, then there’s a very small chance that you’ll be able to improve that click-through-rate.

With this in mind, make sure you’re spending a decent amount of your time considering the messaging of your ad or email subject line. For emails, you’ll also want to be sure that you’re sending off the email at an optimal time of day when your target audience will be more likely to click on it.

Embrace More Visual Content

People can much more quickly synthesize images than they can text. So while you’ll want to have great text associated with your ad or email that you’re wanting people to click on, something that can make their interaction even more likely is to include some type of visual content.

By using images or videos as a way to entice your audience to click on your link and learn more about what you’re doing or offering, you’ll be able to grab more attention.

Cater To Specific Audiences

When creating an ad or email that you’re needing people to click on, you really have to make the content speak to them. Otherwise, it’s just too easy for people to move on from what they’ve seen amid all of the other online content they’re exposed to each day. So to help your marketing materials really connect with people, you’ll want to cater everything to your very specific audience.

Depending on the exact demographics of the people that you’re targeting, you’ll want to change all kinds of things with your marketing materials. So before you post something online, make sure you’ve thought about it from the perspective of the persona you’re trying to attract and determine if it will get the job done.

If your click-through-rates aren’t as successful as you’d like them to be, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you find ways to improve upon these KPIs.

 

There are many benefits of owning an e-commerce store. You get to set your own hours, have complete control over your inventory and pricing, and do what you please with the profits. However, with these benefits comes great responsibility – particularly, the responsibility to ensure that your store is successful. An important part of becoming a successful e-commerce entrepreneur is being aware of common challenges so you can get ahead of them and work to avoid potential pitfalls.

Here are four challenges to be aware of.

Difficulty Bonding With Customers

A great advantage of brick and mortar stores is the opportunity to bond with customers through exchanging anecdotes, offering advice, and providing great customer service.

When you’re selling online, it can be difficult to establish the same level of rapport with customers. Usually, you only get to interact with customers when they contact you to lodge a complaint.

One way to overcome this challenge is by being active on social media. Having multiple social media accounts where you interact with customers regularly can help to create a bond and establish trust.

It’s also important that you go above and beyond to provide excellent customer service. Respond to queries promptly, offer refunds or replacements when items are faulty, and always aim to leave your customers with a positive impression.

Poor Delivery Practices

Navigating deliveries can be a real challenge, so many e-commerce stores have inefficient delivery practices. This often results in customers receiving their items much later than expected, receiving their items damaged, or not receiving them at all.

To avoid these issues, first, it’s important to work with a reliable delivery service. Next, hire an unloading service. This will greatly minimize the problem of goods arriving damaged.

Then, provide regular updates to customers on the status of their delivery. Customers always appreciate not being left in the dark.

Fierce Competition

The barriers to entry for e-commerce are very low, which means there’s a lot of competition out there. It can be difficult to stand out from the crowd.

To overcome this particular challenge, endeavor to offer unique products that can’t be found elsewhere. This could involve sourcing products from suppliers in other countries, or selling handmade items that are made in limited quantities.

Security Concerns

Whilst the internet has made it easier than ever to start and run an e-commerce store, it’s also made it easier for criminals to commit cyber crimes. This is a real concern for many shoppers, and you must do everything you can to reassure them that their personal information is safe when shopping with you.

One way to do this is by using a secure payment gateway that encrypts customer data. You should also have a clear privacy policy in place that outlines how you collect, store, and use customer data.

It’s also a good idea to invest in cyber security insurance.

These are four common challenges you need to be aware of when running an e-commerce store. By getting ahead of these challenges and taking steps to avoid them, you’ll be well on your way to success.

 

Used equipment is an attractive prospect. Less money, already broken in and (hopefully) no issues to speak of.

Not so fast. Before you commit to buying any used equipment, it’s essential you’re aware of the risks.

Are there benefits from buying used equipment?

Buying second-hand certainly has its upsides.

For example, if you’re starting and need a solution fast but don’t want to put up the capital to buy a brand new piece of machinery, second-hand can be a solid long term solution. But buying used equipment requires more than just a good reason. You need to become a detective to ensure that it’s not compromised. That can be both fun and exhausting. So what exactly should you be checking for when thinking about investing in used equipment?

Here are 6 things to check:

1. Check your used equipment supplier’s credentials

First question: who are you buying from? Is it an old mate down the road, or his mate? You need to be sure you’re getting into business with a trusted and reliable partner. Whether you’re financing it or buying outright – this is a key consideration from the buyer’s side. Companies like Vermeer WA & NT are well known and have a track record of supplying well-kept used equipment. Be sure you’re not getting into trouble by buying from a sketchy supplier.

2. Do a once-over

This should be your first port of call: to carry out a thorough visual inspection of the overall bodywork, frame, tracks or wheels, as well as the engine.

This should be the first and most time-consuming part. If done right, you should get a thorough understanding of the equipment’s

• Overall condition
• Engine quality
• Fluid levels
• Safety issues
• Potential need for repairs

If you notice anything fundamentally wrong with the machinery, this should be an immediate red flag. Speak to the sales rep and clarify before moving on to any other inspections.

3. Check the hydraulics

Hydraulics are fundamental to machinery’s ability to perform its core functions. Second-hand equipment can often have compromised hydraulics, not to mention more complex repair procedures. Due to wear and tear in the hydraulics systems, you could be facing hefty repair charges soon after purchase – in some cases this unpredictable cost can make buying new more attractive. If you’re not familiar with the ins and outs of hydraulic systems – it’s worth bringing an expert along with you. They can help you understand what’s at stake.

4. Check the cabin or interior (if it has one)

No matter whether you’re the operator or you’re buying for an employee, the cabin is where someone is going to have to spend many long hours of work. A second-hand cabin can also be riddled with issues from missing parts, torn seats, or even safety concerns with the rollover protective structure (ROPS). Ensuring these safety aspects are fully in working order is essential to maintain stringent work, health and safety standards.

5. Check the hour metre

Used equipment is, after all, well-used. But by how much should be the question on your lips as you check the hour metre. The hour metre can be found on most heavy machinery within the cabin or on the control panel, or elsewhere on the bodywork of the machine.

It should be (amongst other things) eligible and tell you exactly how many hours the piece of equipment has been actively used. You can tell if it’s been tampered with or replaced as it won’t match the original level of wear and tear of the machine, and you can probably spot a false reading a mile away.

6. Do a noise check

Before you make any decision about the machine in question, turn it on and listen. Often a machine will give away its issues with a simple grunt or grumble. Depending on the equipment, you may find that the engine gives off certain strange sounds like:

• Engine making coughing noises
• Grinding or grating sound as you manoeuvre or turn parts of the vehicle
• Squeaking sounds from the engine
• Other unusual sounds that might indicate a lack of lubrication

Any abnormal engine warbles should be taken seriously and when coupled with black smoke you know there’s a major issue at play.

How to choose the right used equipment suppliers

When it comes to making your final decision, it will eventually come down to several factors. Remember that the supplier you choose to go with plays the biggest role in determining whether the equipment is up to scratch or not.

Equipment suppliers like Vermeer WA & NT are well trusted in the industry for providing high-quality equipment, both used and new, to power the infrastructure and mining projects of the future. Whether you’re in the market for new or used machinery, reach out to your local supplier and get a quote today.

 

Are you in the early stages of a business? Have you had your own business for many years? It doesn’t matter how long you have been in business, managed IT services can start helping your business today. Businesses need a lot to keep them running smoothly and efficiently. If you have had a business for many years, maybe you still prefer paper copies and filing cabinets to run your business. If you’re newer to the business world, you likely want to get everything online but maybe you are unsure where to start. Maybe you have concerns about security, with all the reports we hear about cyber-crime. The thing with technology, it is constantly evolving into something more, something different, something better. If running your business takes up most of your time, you likely don’t have the time to keep up with all these changes to technology and that could be off-putting. So, how exactly could managed IT services help you with this?

As stated above, the aim of any business should be to run as smoothly and efficiently as possible. Having what amounts to a dedicated IT department, will provide this. Moving your business online, or having your online systems managed, can make all the difference. So, how does it work? You would have IT specialists working remotely who will always be accessible to fix any problems you may run into with your IT, and to run maintenance on the systems you use. If you are just getting started with IT, they can also help you set everything up to get you started. We all know computers can run into problems and especially if you have an office with a number of computer terminals, chances are problems will arise. But with someone always available to offer immediate assistance, you don’t have to worry about wasted time, and therefore money. No more office staff sat around twiddling their thumbs, waiting for the problem to be solved. Everything is looked into and fixed promptly.

I’m sure we’ve all been on those phone calls to a company where the person is apologising to us for the systems being down and they don’t know when they will be back up and running. Save yourself the lost business opportunities this can cause and have someone to always be there should these types of things happen.

If you need help with set up, this will usually come with a one-off fee, but if you would like the ongoing, always available, managed IT services that I would recommend, this will be paid for in regular payments.