Category: Design

When trying to grow your company and create a business with impact, it’s important that you are aware of the different factors that can contribute to your success. This could include: 

• A thorough, flexible business plan.
• Budgeting and expenses. 
• Customer satisfaction. 
• A strong marketing campaign. 
• Employee satisfaction/retention. 

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From the above list, employee satisfaction can have a much higher impact on your company’s growth and development than you would initially expect. This is due to the fact that when your employees feel respected and valued in the workplace, they are likely to work harder and more effectively.

With that in mind, here are some tips that you can use to take better care of your employees. 

• Retain current staff members, and draw in new employees by providing them with plenty of opportunities for professional growth and development.For example, this could include training programs, assessments like cognitive assessment tests, or even a shadowing/mentorship scheme.
• Improve employee loyalty by ensuring that you view each employee as an individual, as opposed to a tool through which you can earn money. One way in which you can do this is by ensuring that you get to know them and provide them with the appropriate, tailored support as and when they need it.
• Focus on creating a warm and welcoming work environment that boosts creativity and productivity. One way in which you can achieve this goal is by creating a non-judgmental environment, where everybody feels confident to voice their opinions. Embrace the concept that no idea is a bad idea, and you’ll soon notice an improvement in employee performance and productivity.
• Ensure that each employee is fully aware of all of the health and safety guidelines and regulations that exist within your workplace, and provide them with the appropriate support and training where applicable. For example, if your employees are HGV drivers who spend a lot of time on the road, ensure that they are aware of the HGV parking and truck stops along their route where they can rest. Following all guidelines is the easiest way to take care of your employees and avoid accidents or injuries.
• Have an ‘open door’ policy in your workplace, and encourage your employees to reach out should they encounter any problems or have any questions. This is a great way of forging a quality relationship with your employees, which will often help them become better at their job as a result.
  
• Reward good work. Where possible, provide employees who go above and beyond with the recognition they deserve. This could be in the form of a raise, promotion, or even a simple acknowledgment of their efforts and your appreciation.
• Provide your employees with regular feedback regarding their performance – ensuring that your criticism is constructive as opposed to harsh. This provides them with the insight they need to improve without knocking their confidence – which is a win-win for everyone involved. You can also use this time to set them regular goals and targets – which have also been known to increase productivity.

Contemporary homes have changed drastically over the past couple of years. While minimalism and clean lines have mostly dominated the past decade when it comes to high-end homes, these days, we’re starting to see a common theme of “fun” house styles that are much looser in definition and more difficult to pinpoint. Contemporary houses don’t seem to follow a trend anymore, making it hard to describe the aspects that make a house seem progressive and explorative in terms of design.

So in this post, we’re going to take a look at some of the aspects of contemporary house design and how you could potentially transform your home into something completely different.

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Exploring different surfaces, textures and materials

Most modern and older homes focus on a handful of established surfaces, textures and materials. In a contemporary home, a heavy emphasis is placed on the textures and patterns that a surface has, in addition to the style and type of materials and even the surfaces they are used on. It’s not uncommon to mix different grains of wood, types of concrete or even irregular tile patterns that aren’t commonly seen.

Minimalism is still a factor, but it’s far from sterile

Minimalism seems to be a constant when it comes to high-end home design, but there are different styles to keep in mind. In the past, sterile design with neutral colors and a focus on removing items from rooms was the most popular choice. These days, contemporary house design focuses on a more playful style of minimalism where mismatched furniture and interesting textures and patterns are more commonly used. You can be more experimentative with minimalism on contemporary house design, breaking norms that you might be used to and being more expressive with your furniture and color choices.

Mixing form and function

Another common aspect of contemporary house design is the equalization of form and function. Good architecture and design no longer sacrifice practical features that make our homes more comfortable to live in. Designs today will incorporate all kinds of house-wide features, such as a central vacuum system, HVAC features, ventilation and even focus on lowering energy consumption to make the home cheaper to run. These features aim to increase the quality of life in the home while also being friendly to the environment and saving you money.

Playful staircases

Staircases are difficult to design because they need to be functional and architecturally stable. This is a great example of form and function being equally as important, but also a great example of how simple features and structures in the home can be overhauled and styled in unique ways to give the home a completely new and interesting look that hasn’t been imagined before. You can have a lot of fun when it comes to unique and creative staircase designs, provided that they are stable and make sense in the context of your home instead of having a statement piece for the sake of being different.

As business operations shift toward more automated and online-based systems, companies are opening themselves up to a relatively new but very dangerous threat: cybercrime. Cyber-attacks on businesses are becoming more frequent. With valuable information and financial dealings now based predominantly online, hackers are on high alert.

All companies, including small businesses and startups, have an online presence, and utilize computer software that’s connected to the internet. This puts them at risk of a cyber-attack. The majority of businesses do not have a cybersecurity policy, and even fewer have a plan for when an attack might happen. 

What most people do not realize is that startups are the most vulnerable enterprises to fall victim to cybercriminals. Where largescale companies are likely to have strict security procedures in place, new businesses generally don’t invest in digital security. For this very reason, they are targeted. 

One malicious attack can be detrimental to a startup, so the cost of cybersecurity should outweigh the risk. Here are five key tips for protecting your startup from cybercrime. For more additional information on securing your data be sure to visit Network Assured.

Photo by Negative Space from Pexels.

1. Firewall

A strong firewall should be the first step in securing your company’s network. A firewall prevents any unauthorized access from making its way into your network. Whether someone tries to hack into your system directly or through your internet connection, the firewall is designed to shield the network from an attack. 

As your first line of defense, a firewall is essential. 

2. Use a VPN

A VPN (a virtual private network) is another effective way of securing your company data. It provides end-to-end encryption of your internet connection, meaning your connection is private. This blocks potential cybercriminals, wi-fi hacks, and prevents people or organizations from spying on your company. 

Setting up your VPN on a router is a secure way of doing so, and is a useful security measure for any start-up.

3. Back up your data

Data and information are critical aspects of any business. Modern startups will typically store business and customer data in a digital format, meaning there are no physical copies. Therefore, it is vital that there are back up copies of this data. 

Whether you are hacked, or system failure results in a loss of sensitive information, your backed up data will be a lifesaver. 

There are several ways to back up your data, so ensure you pick the method that best suits your practices.

4. Anti-virus and theft prevention software

Anti-virus software is one of the most effective ways of protecting your device and installed software from malware and viruses. Once a device is compromised by malware, hackers can gain access to your business network and steal critical data relating to your finances and customers. 

5. Secure log-in protocol

Having stringent security measures in place, it would be a shame for a data breach to occur because of sloppy password procedures. 

Ensure that strong, unique passwords are used for all business log-ins. For added security, these passwords should be changed regularly (every three to four months). 

Use multifactor authentication on log-ins where possible. This type of log-in procedure prompts the user to provide additional information when logging into a network or program. A username and password will be the initial step, followed by a second (and possibly a third) verification method before access is granted. 

The buzzword of the day when it comes to interior design is industrial. All things mechanical, steampunk, wooden, rustic, metal and chrome-laden are placed within our humble abodes to create a mock industrial look. The appetite for all things reclaimed such as railway sleepers, pharmaceutical apothecary drawers, and old mining lamps have become insatiable as people clamor for the opportunity to bring a touch of the industrial into their homes. While metal and chrome and other oxidized metals are becoming on trend, people are neglecting the tactile beauty of glass. Glass in all its forms can make a spectacular design statement within your home and could complement your industrial look effectively.

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Let There Be Light

While you might be happy with those spotlights that every other household seems to have within their pads, you might be after more of a statement piece to bring ambiance to your home. Lasvit lights choose to take the humble glass to shape and mold into unique lighting experiences. Lamps, chandeliers and colored moldings create awe-inspiring ways to light up the rooms within your home without a paper lantern or spotlight in sight.

Stained Glass

The artisan trade of staining glass has been around for centuries and can be seen in churches across the nation. The beauty of antique stained glass panes can be marveled at once again if you incorporate them into the interior design of your home. You might want to create a feature window so when the sunlight cascades into your home, the flecks of color dance upon your oak floorboards. Or perhaps you fancy using stained glass in a more quirky way, on a coffee table top or as a wardrobe frontage.

Glazing

The UPVC double glazing that is synonymous with houses up and down the country has its place as a soundproofing and energy efficient aspect of your home. But you can also go one step further with your glazing to create entire frontages and facades made out of toughened and top quality glass. Natural light will flood your living space making for a lighter and more airy living environment conducive to healthier living. You will enjoy better views into your garden areas, and you can really bring the outdoors into your home.

Balustrades

If you have a staircase within your home and you’re keen to make a feature of it, you may be tempted to head to a joiners and install a bespoke oak balustrade, or you may want to finish your staircase with some reclaimed spindles. However, for a more modern look, why not consider a glass balustrade. These can create the illusion of space and don’t act as a barrier between your staircase and the rest of your hallway. A glass balustrade creates a sleek, minimalist and chic look perfect for a modern home.

 Glass is a material that yearns to be utilized a little more within your four walls. It’s important never to forget the beauty and simplicity of glass when designing the interior of your home.