Brace Yourself! 25 Money Saving Tips for High Winter Energy Bills

For a large portion of the country, winter weather is already here. And that means higher energy bills.

For a small business, those higher energy bills can take up valuable resources that could otherwise be used for growing your business. But there are some things you can do to relieve some of that financial burden. Learn how to lower your electric bill with these 25 tips.

How to Lower Your Electric Bill This Winter

Lock Outside Windows

Windows can be a huge source of escaping heat in your home or office. If they're left open even a crack, then you're paying to heat air that's just escaping outside. So before it gets too cold, make sure all of your outdoor windows are shut tightly and locked.

Seal Air Leaks

You might also want to examine the area around your windows and any other openings to the outdoors. If there are any cracks or openings that let air escape. You can get sealer or weatherstripping to close up those leaks.

Insulate Walls and Ceilings

The walls and ceilings of your home or office should also be sufficiently insulated to keep all that warm air inside. So check to make sure there's sufficient insulation material and replace it if necessary.

Clean Furnaces and Heaters

At the beginning of winter, it can be a good idea to check on your furnace and any other heating units you might use in your office to make sure they're clean and don't require any tune-ups.

Change Filters Regularly

Throughout the year, you'll also want to make sure to replace your furnace filters so air can travel through it efficiently.

Make Sure Doors Close Properly

Doors to the outside can also lead to lots of warm air escaping. So make sure each door shuts tightly and doesn't leave any open areas to the outside. If it does, you might need some sealer or an adjustment to your door frame.

Switch to Efficient Light Bulbs

When it comes to lighting your office, not all bulbs are created equal. Choose energy efficient lighting options to keep your space illuminated.

Get a Smart Thermostat

There are also plenty of new options when it comes to thermostats. Though it would be an investment up front, you can purchase a smart thermostat that learns your heating preferences and only uses as much power as absolutely necessary. This can lower your energy costs in the long run.

Keep Blinds Open During the Day

During the winter, you can use the sun to your advantage to help heat your office space. Keep shades or blinds open when the sun is shining in so you can get that extra heat without any additional cost.

Shut Them When the Sun Goes Down

However, when the sun starts to go down at the end of the day, make sure to close those shades or blinds to trap the warm air inside.

Turn Down the Thermostat at Night

When you leave the office at night, you can also save a bit of money by turning the thermostat down a few degrees. You don't need it quite as warm when no one is there working anyway.

Use Area Rugs

If you have wood floor or tile in your office, the floor can get really cold in the winter. But you can use area rugs to insulate the floor and keep your team feeling warmer.

Keep Vents Clear

And if the vents that are supposed to deliver warm air to different parts of your office are covered up by furniture or obstructed in any way, they might not be able to work very efficiently. So make sure you move any items out of the way.

Use Ceiling Fans Effectively

Ceiling fans can be great for keeping you cool in the summer. But many also have a feature that let you put the fan in reverse, which pushes warmer air down and can help you stay warm in the winter.

Bundle Up

While you don't want your office to be a frozen tundra, it also probably isn't practical to expect it to feel like a tropical paradis either. So through the winter, bundle up with sweaters or other warm items so that the slightly cooler air doesn't have as much of an impact.

Get a Humidifier

A humidifier can help keep that dry winter air a bit more bearable. And it can also make it feel a bit warmer than it really is.

Use LED Holiday Lights

If you plan on decorating your office with lights for the holidays, make sure you get some LED lights that use much less energy than traditional bulbs.

Buy a Portable Heater

It wouldn't be efficient to heat a whole office with portable heaters. But if you have one space you want to be a bit warmer, you can invest in a portable heater and then keep the thermostat set a few degrees cooler.

Shut Vents in Unused Rooms

If you have spaces in your office that aren't used often, don't pay to heat them. For example, if you have a conference room that you only use on occasion, shut the vents and the door so you can save money in that area. Just remember to re-open them before you actually go to use that room.

Install Storm Windows

Even if the windows in your office are properly locked and sealed, they might not be that effective at keeping warm air inside. If you don't already have storm windows, it might be an investment that's worth looking into.

Cover Windows with Plastic Film

If that's not a viable option, you can also consider covering your windows with plastic film in the winter as a way of further sealing off any potential air leaks.

Use Energy Star Appliances

Your office refrigerator and other appliances can also take up a lot of energy. So make sure you have energy efficient models that use as little as possible.

Unplug Devices When Not in Use

All those electronics you use in your office take up a lot of energy. And if you keep them plugged in even when they're not in use, you're just wasting money. So unplug things like laptop and smartphone chargers and small kitchen appliances whenever you're not actually using them.

Consider Motion Sensors

Of course, you and your team members should turn off lights whenever you leave a room. But if you have some forgetful people on your staff, it might not always happen. In that case, motion sensors that turn your lights off when they sense no movement could help you reduce energy costs.

Get an Energy Audit

If you've done a lot of the things above and still notice high energy bills, you might want to sign up for an energy audit through the Department of Energy or a local service provider. They can tell you any areas in your home or office where you can make improvements.

Image: Memegenerator.net

This article, "Brace Yourself! 25 Money Saving Tips for High Winter Energy Bills" was first published on Small Business Trends

How to Help Employees Adapt to New Technology

Every year, new and improved technologies emerge that have consistently proved to be beneficial for our everyday lives. Owing to the positive impacts that these tools of technology bring to the businesses, more and more organizations are adopting these to improve efficiency and productivity.

Various technologies like cloud computing, smart data storage, video conferencing, wireless networking, BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) and so on have helped in automating certain tasks and made the businesses processes simpler and smoother.

While staying updated is a cornerstone of every successful business, it is equally important to ensure that your employees can adapt to the integration. Only a fully functional team that is ready to move towards innovation can help in taking your business forward.

Let's take a look at a few ways in which you can accomplish this.

Introducing New Technology to Employees

Ensure That IT Teams Understand the Company's Goals

The first step to making a technology work for your business is to ensure that the IT personnel handling the integration is completely aware of the company's goals and objectives and are providing the right kind of support. Additionally, they should collaborate with the department heads to guarantee that the technology is aligned with the requirements of the company before bringing the team members onboard with it.

Working out the potential flaws and the inefficiencies of the technologies will ensure that employees do not encounter any glitch while using these tools. Any obstacles faced by the employees at the beginning can demotivate them and can turn out to be a hindrance to their enthusiasm for embracing the technology.

Encourage Education

Adequate training is one of the most crucial components in enabling your staff to adapt to new technology integration at the workplace. With every new adoption, employees should be retrained about how to utilize these in their tasks.

Some employees do not have a knack for technology and may feel intimidated with the integration. You would need to provide additional support to them to ensure that they attain a level of comfort with these tools. The idea is to ease the workflow with these tools and not make these turn into a burden for your employees.

Listen to Their Feedback

For your employees to be receptive to new technologies, you should create an environment in the workplace that is conducive to learning. Your employees should not hesitate to talk freely about the problems they are facing, any inputs that they might have about the integration and so on. This will help them feel involved in the integration and would enable them to learn more.

You can consider setting time aside for addressing these concerns. Department heads should be open to new ideas. Interactive sessions, hands-on training activities, weekly meetings, seminars and recurring training sessions should be conducted to ensure that employees' doubts are heard, discussed and cleared as they move ahead with the integration.

Create a Culture of Progression

User experience is one of the primary aspects that make the integration of technological tools successful. People usually gravitate towards a tool that is fluid and easy to use. Therefore, it is important to make learning about a technology fun and engaging. To accomplish this, you should make your team understand how the implementation will optimize workflow and reduce their burden.

For example, using wireless technology helps in fueling the concept of a mobile workforce. WiFi connectivity reduces the usage of a cluster of cables, which can pose a hindrance to collaboration and workflow. Making your employees aware of these concepts can help in swifter adoption.

Track Results and Make Adjustments

The idea is to ensure that the implementations of the tools do not become stagnant with time. Therefore, it is crucial to measure the results, the return on investment, the impact on the users and so on. These metrics can then be utilized to identify the problem areas and ways to make the technology work more efficiently for your business procedures.

You can consider asking your employees to present new ways to use the technology. Viable solutions should be tested to make the necessary adjustments. This can facilitate regular learning for your employees.

These steps will ensure that your employees become more receptive to the integration. You would also need to plan financially for the upgradation and the adjustments. This will help in avoiding any financial setbacks.

Helping Employee Photo via Shutterstock

This article, "How to Help Employees Adapt to New Technology" was first published on Small Business Trends

Healthy Diets Critical for Healthy Entrepreneurs

You may not realize it, but many entrepreneurs are just like athletes.  We work long days.  We travel.  We have to perform at high levels, and sometimes we do all those things without the benefit of proper meals.  But food is energy.  It's fuel for all the hard work we do.  While you probably don't need to consume 12,000 calories a day like Michael Phelps, you do need to feed your body.  And here are some of my go-to recommendations:

Healthy Foods for Entrepreneurs

1. Endurance Enhancers

My biggest challenge, especially when I'm on the road, is making sure my meals stick with me on busy days when I don't have a chance to stop for lunch.  What I need most are foods that help me perform over the long haul.

• Quinoa - the ultimate superfood, quinoa has carbohydrates, protein, and all the nine amino acids.  This wonder grain helps me keep from feeling hungry all day.


• Chia seeds - like quinoa, you're getting a complete protein with these magical little seeds that I love to eat blended in yogurt or a smoothie.


• Avocado - We sometimes get so caught up in avoiding fat that we forget that fat is one of the nutritional elements that keeps us feeling full longer.  Throw in vitamins C, K, and B6, and you see what a powerhouse the humble avocado can be.

2. Energy Boosters

While slamming a cup of coffee or downing an energy drink may pick you up for a brief period of time, that feeling never lasts forever.  Far better are some gentler energy sources that provide a lift without the crash.

• Almonds - perfectly balanced fat and protein, almonds give you a long-burning energy boost without the caffeine jitters or the sugar rush.


• Blueberries - When your body's craving something sweet, take the natural route with antioxidant rich blueberries.


• Peppers - thanks to their capsaicin content, peppers give you an energy rush and boost your metabolism.  Embrace the heat!

3. Relaxation Promoters

After a busy, stressful day, it can be hard to turn your mind off and get a good night's sleep, but we all know that sleep is critical to optimum performance.  When you need a little help winding down, try these options.

• Dark chocolate – If stress is what's keeping you awake, indulge in some dark chocolate for its combination of serotonin, magnesium, and dopamine.


• Honey – The same substance that makes you sleep after Thanksgiving dinner – tryptophan – also appears in honey.  Combine honey with the natural sleep aid chamomile and a cup of tea, and you're set for a great night's sleep.


• Cherries – while a number of people take melatonin to help with sleep, cherries are a great natural source for this sleep-regulating substance.

I have two more strategies I use to make sure I'm physically on top of my game.  First, I always pack little bags of supercharged trail mix with almonds, dried fruit, pumpkin seeds, and banana chips, and I stash them everywhere.  They're in my backpack, my desk at work, and even in my overnight bag.  That way, I always know that even in the biggest rush, I won't be distracted by my growling stomach.

And finally, the thing that matters most to the way I feel is regular exercise.  I used to make the excuse that I didn't have time, but what I realized is that I have to have time.  If I don't get my body moving and my blood pumping, I feel like crap.  A brief exercise break or two in my workday - no matter where I am - refreshes my mind and helps me keep focused.

Being an entrepreneur is about more than just business sense.  You are the face of our company.  Make sure you're performing your best.

Republished by permission. Original here.

Healthy Food Photo via Shutterstock

This article, "Healthy Diets Critical for Healthy Entrepreneurs" was first published on Small Business Trends

Hundreds Of Millions Being Invested In Brand New Ecommerce Platform

Is there a better way to do ecommerce? That's what investors are asking as they seek out new ventures that could become the next billion-dollar Amazon or Overstock.com.

Many believe that it is too difficult to come up with a brand new ecommerce model. Let's face it: it seems that all the potential avenues have been exhausted. There's nothing else. But is that really true? Especially in today's tech-savvy, highly globalized economy?

Every day, there seems to be a new incarnation of the ecommerce business model. Some platforms will concentrate on Business to Consumer (B2C), while others will hone in on Business to Business (B2B). Startups are looking to add social commerce into their plans as well.

What if you could integrate all of the above? What if you could combine B2B, B2C, and social media?

Such a concept would give merchants, startups, and entrepreneurs, a great opportunity to sell their products to a vast market base both domestically and globally.

Wansecheng: An Innovative Ecommerce Platform in China

The question is: how can such a business model exist and thrive? B2C is constantly evolving and shifting, while B2B is more intricate and multi-layered. Of course, social media is in an entirely different world. When you combine the three for an ecommerce platform, how can it work?

Well, that is what Hangzhou-based company Wansecheng is looking to accomplish. The website has the financial backing of some of the biggest investors in China today.

Wsmall.com, established in 2009, is a website that combines the elements of ecommerce, entrepreneurship, B2B, B2C and social media into one web portal. The ecommerce platform aggregates more than 100,000 small merchants and vendors and provides them with an array of customized services that include branding, digital marketing, and customer service.

There are three primary elements to Wsmall.com:

• Wansecheng Mall: A global boutique mall for medium- and high-end online clientele.


• Kale Mao: A membership supermarket with authentic global goods.


• Wansecheng Business College: An online interactive platform for studying the mix of social activity and entertainment with education for entrepreneurs who are registered members of the Wansecheng Mall.

It's like one big shopping mall!

The Business Model

Utilizing a B2B2C business model, Wsmall specializes in selling daily consumer goods, foods, baby products, cosmetics and many other items that the consumer is willing to buy online. With the next generation technology in hand, the consumer products meet health and safety standards.

What sets this online venture apart from the rest is the fact that the users retain the rights to their web stores. In other words, they can benefit from maintaining, organizing and designing the digital store as they see fit. They can decide what will give their personal brands a boost.

This aggressive approach to ecommerce is attracting millions of dollars in investments. Wsmall has been raising funds over the last couple of years from some of the biggest investors.

It was reported that global investment giants Warburg Pincus and CICC-Qianhai have invested $100 million into the company. Analysts predict that the company will likely generate even more funds; especially with the company's vision of the future which is described as “a dream city with the DNA of strong innovation.”

Delivering a speech to a conference on ecommerce, the chairman of the company said, “a wealthy city reshapes the model of B2B2C ecommerce.”

“The core competitiveness of Wansecheng lies in the creation of an online entrepreneurial university town which simplifies the business procedure for average entrepreneurs and enriches their lives, so as to establish an ecommerce platform ecological system that is open, coordinated, sharing, with win-win outcomes, thereby contributing to the mass entrepreneurship, and sustained development of China's economy and social harmony,”

Pundits like to say that this is Amazon's world and we're just living in it. With this notion in the forefront of the consumer's consciousness, it can be pretty daring and even overwhelming to attempt to compete with the online retail juggernaut.

However, if there is one thing that Amazon has taught businesses it's this: the rules of commerce have been updated to reflect the 21st-century economy. Everything from products, sales channels, distribution centers and marketing are now morphing into something more consumer-friendly than we have ever witnessed.

B2C is a concept that modifies and adapts at a whim to satisfy the consumer. B2B is far more reserved, technical and, as previously mentioned, multi-layered. This is why some may argue that merging the two models is like mixing oil and water: they just don't go well together.

Wsmall.com is an example of businesses taking an alternative approach. This is having both domestic and foreign investors along with entrepreneurs paying close attention to its development.

Looking Forward …

The latest data suggest that 40 percent of global Internet users have purchased a product online with a desktop or mobile device. This means that there are an estimated one billion online shoppers. It is easy to see that as technology becomes more ubiquitous, the numbers will only grow.

Simply put: it doesn't matter where you are – South America, Africa or Asia – there will be an ecommerce base, especially with the prevalence of mobile technology. Wsmall has exciting things in store for online consumers in the years to come.

Image: wsmall.com

This article, "Hundreds Of Millions Being Invested In Brand New Ecommerce Platform" was first published on Small Business Trends

A Recognizable Character Could Help Both Universal and Nintendo (Watch)

If you're heading to any Universal theme parks over the next few years, you might see a familiar face. Mario, the popular plumber from many Nintendo video games, is headed to Universal theme parks in Orlando, Osaka and Los Angeles.

Universal and Nintendo first announced their partnership over a year ago. But the two popular brands just released a teaser outlining plans for the new theme park attractions. Though the tealer didn't reveal many specifics, it's a safe bet that Mario will be a major centerpiece of the new park area. He's a recognizable face that could draw in visitors and get people excited about the new attractions.

However, that doesn't mean that there won't be other Nintendo characters or themes mixed in. This partnership also creates a unique opportunity for Nintendo to get more attention for some of its lesser known games. So if the two companies can come up with a way to draw people in using recognizable characters and themes, and then introduce exciting new themes as well, this could be a big win for both sides.

Benefits of Leveraging Brand Recognition

And while your small business likely isn't partnering with any major theme parks in the near future, the same concept can apply. Using the brand recognition already earned by themes or characters can be a major draw for people. And sometimes, they can even help you introduce new items as well.

Salvation Army Photo via Shutterstock

This article, "A Recognizable Character Could Help Both Universal and Nintendo (Watch)" was first published on Small Business Trends

64 Percent of Top Performing Marketers Use Automated Email Weekly, New Report Says

A majority (64 percent) of high-performing marketers send automated emails to their contacts at least once per week. And that's how they generate the maximum number of leads.

The insight comes from the new 2016 State of Customer Journey Marketing Report.

Conducted by Cint.com, on behalf of San Francisco-based email marketing and marketing automation software company Autopilot, the study has revealed some more interesting insights.

A Look at Where Marketers are Investing In, and Succeeding With, Email Automation

Here's are some key highlights:

• Seventy percent of marketers rank social media as their top performing channel outside of email.


• Eighty-one percent use data to personalize their marketing, and 54 percent say big data lets them deliver a better customer experience.


• Seventy-one percent of high-performing marketers have mapped their customer's journey; 88 percent say it's driving better customer acquisition, satisfaction and retention.

Why Email Automation Makes Sense for Your Business

A growing number of small businesses are using email automation to nurture leads, foster personalized communication and reach more customers.

It's also worth noting that email marketing has shown a steady 7 percent year-on-year growth, highlighting its relevance for small business owners.

Luckily, there are some nimble email service providers such as Vero and Mailchimp that can give businesses everything they need to automate email marketing.

The 2016 State of Customer Journey Marketing Report was conducted in August 2016. U.S.-based marketing and advertising decision makers aged 25 and over were targeted in multiple industries.

Sixty-one percent of respondents who work in small to mid-sized businesses were interviewed for the study.

Typing Photo via Shutterstock

This article, "64 Percent of Top Performing Marketers Use Automated Email Weekly, New Report Says" was first published on Small Business Trends

IT Company Builds Software Platform for Cloud-ready Companies and Those That Aren't

Sponsored Post

Business partners Rob Schenk and Dan Gordon, founders of Intivix, an IT company based in San Francisco, are serious about the Cloud. So serious that not only do they offer many cloud-based services to their clients, but they also have funded and developed a remote access solution that enables businesses to get to their files either from on-premise servers or those hosted in the cloud.

The solution, called MyWorkDrive, was designed with simplicity in mind, born out of clients' frustrations over problems with accessibility.

“I just want to be able to access my work files reliably without a bunch of hassles,” said Gordon in a telephone interview with Small Business Trends, referring to complaints he had received from clients.

In the past, remote access required the use of complex VPNs and error-prone synching software - a problem Schenk and Gordon determined to resolve. Furthermore, other clients didn't feel comfortable moving all their files to a cloud-only based service like DropBox.

“Clients wanted the flexibility of gaining access to files from anywhere, just as if they were in their office,” he said. “We tested and reviewed many solutions and ended up not finding anything that was the right fit. Platforms were either very expensive, very cumbersome or challenging to maintain.”

Instead of a third-party platform, Schenk and Gordon built MyWorkDrive, a direct and easy way for customers to get to their files from any location, using both desktop and mobile devices (browser-based or the familiar mapped drive mechanism).

“MyWorkDrive natively integrates with the security and permissions of Active Directory that's already set up for all our customers, so we didn't have to reinvent that stuff,” Gordon said. “We wanted something very simple, very targeted and tied right into Microsoft Active Directory. That's where we're at today.”

Gordon added that, with marketing efforts now in place, many MSPs are beginning to use the product, in addition to all of Intivix's clients.

A unique feature only available with MyWorkDrive, according to Gordon, lets users double-click on a document right from the web, edit it directly in Office or in Office 365 and save it back to the local or cloud-based server.

“We can open it in Office 365 and conduct searches on the file server, to give people a full experience without them having to install anything on their computer,” he said. “We have a patented connector that they can enable (with no firewall rules or certificates to deal with), and then their server will be available online once we install the software, which takes about 20 minutes.”

Gordon cited one company that has a large file server consisting of eight terabytes of data as an example of MyWorkDrive's capabilities.

“The company has a lot of staff who have to go out and take a number of photos in the field,” he said. “Being able to access those [photos] from anywhere, with indexed search, along with the ability to upload massive amounts of files from a service at gigabit speed, makes MyWorkDrive a good option for them.”

Pricing for MyWorkDrive ranges from $49.99 per month for up to 20 users to $1,200 for an enterprise license that supports 500 users. The company makes custom pricing available for corporations with a larger user base. In addition, they are actively collaborating with Managed Service Providers around the world to join their partner channel with compelling partner discount and internal use rights.

While MyWorkDrive takes up much of Schenk's and Gordon's time, Intivix does offer other cloud-based services, including hosting through Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services, as well as migration to Office 365 and Google for Work.

When asked about the risks and problems associated with transitioning clients to the cloud, Gordon takes a measured tone, saying that people get sold on cloud solutions without thinking through all the ramifications.

“We've picked up clients who didn't do proper requirements gathering before they migrated to a cloud solution and have been unhappy with the results.'” he said. “Ultimately, they end up going through a migration with another provider and realize later that it doesn't support all their requirements like Office 365 Email does. 'It doesn't have the Outlook feature that our users want' they say, for example. In the end, we have worked with clients where we had to redo the migration away from other cloud solutions.”  

Gordon feels that many times, customers simply give in to the hype surrounding the benefits the cloud is supposed to provide, but that fall short when put into practice.

“They don't really even know or understand what the word 'cloud' means,” he said. “They think, 'It's going to save me money. It's going to make my life easier.' When that doesn't happen then they have to deal with the ramifications.”

While Gordon asserts that the cloud isn't right for everyone, he believes certain applications could be beneficial.

“I would say there are targeted cloud applications that make a huge amount of sense for companies,” he said, “but it's not for everyone at this point.”

He cited Office 365 as an example.

“I think you've seen a lot of people moving to Office 365,” he said. “That's a very targeted solution that makes a lot of sense, that makes emails what the phone used to be.”

Regarding full implementation, however, Gordon said that as long as security and bandwidth aren't an issue using cloud-based applications can be a useful strategy but can also be a disaster if not well thought through.

He does agree that in five to ten years, the cloud may be more ubiquitous but at this juncture, there are legacy-type businesses whose workflows, training and knowledge levels have not sufficiently advanced to the point where full adoption makes sense. It's a pragmatic approach that takes into account where his client companies are regarding readiness.

“Companies are biting off more than they can chew in moving to the cloud when all they're looking for, in many cases, is akin to what they already have,” he said. “That's why MyWorkDrive isn't exclusively cloud-based but also incorporates access to on-premise servers. It's a solution that can accommodate everyone. It allows companies space to move to the cloud at their own pace.”

MyWorkDrive invites all Managed Services Providers around the globe to explore their solution as a simple pathway to creating additional cloud recurring revenue by participating in their partner channel. Sign up today.

Image: Intivix

This article, "IT Company Builds Software Platform for Cloud-ready Companies and Those That Aren't" was first published on Small Business Trends