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Implement These 4 Technologies for Increased Office Productivity

 

Office productivity is a major factor that drives your company’s success. After creating an inviting office space and determining the best office layout, turn to these four technologies to tweak office productivity even more:

 

Electronic database

A paperless filing system is one of the many green initiatives in the office you can implement. You’ll save paper and file space when there aren’t multiple copies of agendas and minutes floating around.

More importantly, your employees can do their jobs more effectively when they have easy digital access to client files and your company’s knowledge management system. Your employees can also rest assured that they’re always opening the most up-to-date documents when everything is stored and updated on your company’s electronic database.

 

Remote access

This takes the electronic database idea one step further by allowing your employees access to it off-site 24/7. You can do this either by having the database and applications made available on the cloud or setting up VPNs for all employees.

The advantage of remote access is especially apparent if you have many employees who work out in the field. That way, they’re backed by full company resources no matter where they are or what time zone they’re in.

 

Workflow automation opportunities

There’s always a way you can improve company operations as long as you keep looking. The first thing you should do is to pinpoint where your operational bottlenecks are that take up more staff time than necessary. Then, implement a software or app that will streamline that process and make things easier on your staff.

Also, are there certain procedures your office carries out on a daily basis? See if a software or app can help make following through each step smoother.

Don’t underestimate the power of shaving off even a couple minutes on one step. It’ll all add up to huge cost savings and productivity boosts in the long run.

 

Project communication tools

Emails are not the most efficient method for the rapid-fire communication that often goes back and forth on projects. There’s a huge risk of important emails getting buried in the middle of never-ending email chains, which only results in unnecessary meetings just to clarify what the chain is all about in the first place.

The best solution for efficient project communication is chat-based systems like Slack. Even a built-in chatting platform on your company’s project management system would be better than email. What you want is a system that employees can reply informally and quickly with their ideas, which would all be located in a single thread that’s searchable.

You’ll notice a significant reduction in meeting times because the bulk of communications and clarifications of miscommunications would already be worked out in real-time on the chat thread.

 

By embracing technology to maximize office productivity, you’ll give your company an edge over the competition.

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What are the Elements of a Comfortable Home?

Dunloe Road

 

Although home comfort is a subjective, a good starting point is to design with a luxury custom home in mind. From there, you can fill it with your own creature comforts and apply the full spectrum of interior design that touches on these general elements of a comfortable home:

 

Effortless room temperature

You shouldn’t have to work to keep your home warm in winter or stay cool in summer. That’s because all the work should be done up-front through proper insulation. The closer you can get to net-zero energy housing, the better. By combining that with the latest smart home tech such as smart thermostats, you won’t even need to think about adjusting the temperature yourself.

 

Space to put up feet

Apart from lying down, the most comfortable posture is to stretch out in a reclining position. If everyone usually hangs out in the family room, make sure the room is large enough for all to lean back in recliners or to put up feet on ottomans.

 

Place for relaxed sit-down meals

We’re so busy with work and life that everything seems to be on-the-go these days. When you do have the opportunity to actually sit down for a meal though, make sure you have a place to do so. This is why dining rooms are still relevant in modern homes. As for the seating arrangements, they should be comfy and not too cramped while creating enough intimacy for deep conversations.

 

Lighting with purpose

Think about how you use each room so that you can customize the lighting levels and sources accordingly. For instance, you may want bright lights in the kitchen and soft lighting in the bedroom. The family room may straddle the happy medium with cheerful and dimmable-on-demand lighting.

 

Every room its own colour

There should be individual colour schemes for each room so that they’re physically and visually distinct. This is where you can play with wall colours, furniture fabrics, window treatments, and even artwork to anchor the room’s colour palette.

 

Bed that’s just right

A good night’s sleep is crucial to how productive your next day is so it’s worth it to spend more on high-quality materials for your bed. That means Egyptian cotton sheets and down comforters. It also means memory-foam or pillow-top mattresses and premium pillows that feel like you’re sleeping on a cloud. On top of all that, spread a heavy wool blanket or quilt since studies have shown that heavy blankets work wonders for deep sleep.

 

Invitation to nature

Bring nature inside! A little bit of greenery in every room will purify the air and add liveliness to your home décor. If you’re stuck deciding which plants to keep in the house, try these 12 that are healthy and low-maintenance.

 

What ties everything together into a comfortable home is that you feel at ease being you when you come back from work at the end of the day. And for that to happen, you have to make sure that every design choice you make throughout the house is an expression of your personality and tastes. So go ahead and be picky because it really is all about you when it comes to your home.

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4 Changes That Will Make Running Your Dental Office Easier

 

There’s a lot of stress running a dental office, but the good news is that there are ways you can keep it down to manageable levels.

 

Here are four changes you can make around the office to help you out:

 

Optimize the physical flow of the office

Much of a dental office’s efficiency can be built in right from the beginning during renovations. Start by thinking about the range of services you’d like to offer your patients.

For instance, if you’ll be specializing in more complex procedures where patients may want the option of nitrous oxide, then consider plumbing in a convenient delivery system. It’s also a good idea to keep the complex procedures to the chairs further back in the office. Hygiene appointments and shorter procedures can then be scheduled for the chairs near the reception area. This will make for smoother traffic flows that won’t disturb the focus needed for longer procedures in the back.

Be sure to also set aside a room for patients to relax in between procedures, instead of having them wait in the dentist chair. You can equip the room with recliners and even entertainment systems with headphones so that they can de-stress in peace. Most importantly though, this frees up the chair for quick checkups or procedures on another patient. If the waiting time is too short to squeeze in another patient, it’ll at least give some space to clean up and prep for the end of the procedure.

Another way to streamline the office operations even more is to install one extra dental chair than what’s needed. This chair would be staffed full-time by an assistant who will have an independent schedule to look after patient checkup tasks that don’t need dentist supervision. Your office will be able to handle a much larger volume of patients that way.

 

Empower your assistants and hygienists

Rather than having your assistants around merely to assist you, train them to perform the full spectrum of tasks they’re legally able to do. Bottlenecks in the office are often created because there are procedural or information gaps found when the dentist walks in for exams or procedures.

If your assistants and hygienists can do much of the legwork up front and patient information is always up-to-date according to a checklist, then it gives you more time to focus on the more complex procedures in the office.

 

Embrace flexible patient scheduling

Every day never really goes according to plan in a dental office. That’s why you want to make sure you have a flexible patient scheduling system in place.

Before you purchase the right software for the job though, start by improving your office’s estimates of appointment or procedure times. Don’t forget to include the time needed for area setup and cleanup! As you revise your time estimates with more experience, make sure your front desk personnel are kept up-to-date on accurate time estimates when they’re booking appointments. Your staff will be thankful for rotating chairs efficiently and your patients will be thankful for accurate expected appointment times.

 

Dealing with emergencies

Emergencies are part of the dental business, but you don’t have to let them derail your day. A good way to deal with them is to dedicate specific windows each day just for emergencies. You can either have them vary daily according to the day’s scheduled appointments or have the same emergency time slots every day. The advantage of the latter option is that you can tack them on to the office lunch hour or break time; if there are no emergencies that day, then everyone gets a longer break or more time to wrap up other work!

 

These are great changes to get the stress ball rolling away in your dental office. If you’re feeling extra ambitious, consider an electronic paperless filing system as your next step!

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Why You Should Consider Home Additions Before Anything Else

Heidan Construction - Custom Homes

 

There may come a day when you look around your house and think, “How did it shrink so fast?” That’s when you know it’s time to expand your living space.

 

But before you call up your real estate agent and start poring over new listings though, there’s an option you should consider: home additions. Read on to find out why you should consider home additions before anything else!

 

Saving on unnecessary costs

First things first, let’s talk money. If you need a bigger space, home additions are hands down much less expensive than buying a larger house. The price gap is even more apparent if you’re buying into a rising house market. You’d be swapping the current equity you’ve built up with this house for a new inflated mortgage. And don’t forget either to account for the selling and buying costs as well as the cost of moving. For those who want the best bang for their buck, home additions are the most economical solution.

 

Taking care of the practicalities

You may think you need a whole lot of space when, really, you only need one more room. By considering home additions first, it gives you a more grounded and realistic perspective about your needs. What’s more, it’s next to impossible to find a new house that fits your needs exactly because everyone has different preferences. The great thing about home additions is that they will be custom-designed to your specifications.

 

Keeping what you’ve got going on

It’s hard to let go of what’s right in front of you. All the happy memories in your home where you’ve watched your family grow. The neighbours who’ve looked out for you and became your best friends. The community groups you believe in and support. Even the local stores and restaurants you’re fond of. So why give them up at all?

Making the decision to add to your house means you can have your cake and eat it, too. It extends the beautiful memories you’ve already created in your current home with the opportunity for many more. You also get to maintain the relationships you’ve built up over the years in your neighbourhood and community.

 

Inspiring your creativity

When you set your mind to a home addition, you’ll find that you’re encouraged to get creative in maximizing your property space. Maybe you don’t actually use the backyard as much as you originally thought. Go with a rear addition! Or if the land around your house is limited, you can also consider building up with a second floor addition. Have fun looking for different ways you can make use of the space you have. You’d be surprised at how much more you can squeeze out of it.

 

Investing in your future

A commitment to home additions is a sign that you’re taking a long-term view on your home. In return, you receive peace of mind when you downsize in the future because the extra space can be rented out later on. It also adds value to your home even if you do decide to sell it one day.

For instance, the income potential of an added in-law suite would be very attractive to future buyers. Dining rooms are coming back into fashion and luxury backyards to impress guests are a big draw.

 

There are many benefits to putting home additions at the top of the list. The numbers of the economic benefits speak for themselves. The emotional benefits though are priceless.

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6 Premium Materials for Long-Lasting Roofing

Heidan Construction - Custom Homes

 

If you’re building your luxury home from scratch, it’s worth it to invest in quality construction materials that’ll last a lifetime. It’s your dream home, after all, so you definitely don’t intend to sell it anytime soon.

 

The roof is one of the areas in your house where the material you choose can give you the best return for your money based on the roof’s longevity. These are the premium materials you can count on for decades:

 

Concrete tile

Lifespan: At least 30 years.

Concrete tiles can withstand stormy weathers and fire. Each tile is individually installed so it’s easy to replace damaged tiles. Since concrete is an engineered material, there’s a wide variety of colours, shapes, and sizes you can choose from. This allows you to better colour coordinate the look of your house exterior.

 

Clay

Lifespan: At least 50 years.

Also known as terracotta or ceramic, clay is very durable due to the high-heat intensity of its baking process. It can take on stormy seasons – including heavy rain and snow – without fading in colour or cracking. With its overlapping construction, it creates pockets of air insulation underneath each clay tile. This helps warm up the house in winter and cool off the house in summer. And if you want to have a rainwater-collecting system set up, clay is the best roof material for cleaner rainwater.

 

Steel

Lifespan: At least 50 years.

Steel can be a green material if you select a higher composition of recycled metal. In winter, its smooth frictionless surface means that snow would simply slide off on a slope. In summer, it keeps the house cooler since it reflects sunlight away and any absorbed heat dissipates quickly.

 

Aluminum

Lifespan: About 50 – 100 years.

Aluminum is a versatile material that comes in various colours and can even simulate the look of other roofing materials. It’s a very light metal and can do without any need of reinforced support for the roof. Similar to steel, it can be a green material with your choice of recycled metal composition. It also reflects sunlight in the summertime to maintain a cooler interior.

 

Copper

Lifespan: 100+ years.

Copper is one of the two longest-lasting roofing materials available. Many iconic buildings of the world are still standing with their original copper roofs. Copper’s most attractive quality is its distinctive colour: the new red-gold surface that eventually turns a bright turquoise as it oxidizes over time. It’s lightweight and malleable for all sorts of custom roof shapes. At the same time, it’s durable enough to take on inclement weather, fire, and pests. Copper is also very energy-efficient as its reflective surface helps maintain interior temperatures. To top it all off, it’s a green material since it’s 100% recyclable.

 

Slate

Lifespan: 100+ years.

Slate is the other longest-lasting roofing material available. The historic buildings – especially cathedrals – that have stood the test of time with a slate roof are testament to its longevity. It’s usually done in the form of tiles cut from a natural and dense metamorphic rock. Slate is pretty much resistant to whatever condition you can think of: water, fire, mold, etc. It can take a beating in the worst of storms and won’t be affected by extreme changes in temperature either. Once installed, it barely requires any maintenance work. Slate is also another good roofing material for collecting rainwater.

 

Besides the safe feeling of having a secure and long-lasting roof over your head, the roof is also where you can make a bold statement. So don’t forget to think about the colour and shape of the roof that best reflects what the luxury dream house means to you.

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How to Optimize Your Restaurant for Instagram – Part 2

Restaurant Contractors Toronto

 

Once you’ve made your restaurant ‘grammable, you have to make Instagram part of your daily restaurant management routine. You also want to make it easy for customers to promote your restaurant on Instagram.

 

To do that, consider these extra details in your restaurant:

 

Lights before camera and action

Because photos form the bulk of Instagram posts, you should set your restaurant up for ideal photo-taking conditions. Make sure you put in large windows and even skylights to open everything up to as much natural light as possible. Another Instagram-friendly feature is to install dimmer-switch lighting for each table. That way, customers can adjust the lighting to suit their quality photo needs.

 

Focus on your specialty

What are the unique selling points of your restaurant? Once you’ve identified what they are, run with their concepts. If your specialty drinks are popular, hype them up with creative presentations. If it’s the live music that draws crowds, make the stage the centre of attention. And if it’s the food, of course, artistically arrange every meal in white dishes so all the ingredients stand out from photos. The best way to have your restaurant’s Instagram page go viral is to design everything to point to your restaurant’s specialties.

 

Build up your Instagram page

Get your Instagram name as close to your restaurant’s name as possible. If the name is taken, try tacking on your city’s abbreviation to the end. This is to make it easy for customer’s to search and tag your restaurant. Be sure to also switch your restaurant’s Instagram account to a “Business Profile” on the settings page. Your customers will then be able to directly call the restaurant via the “Contact” button. Next, encourage customers to follow your Instagram page by advertising it on your menus, place-mats, coasters, or even the feature wall.

 

Develop a personalized list of hashtags

Decide on an official hashtag for your restaurant brand and use it on every post you make. Add on the hashtags for your restaurant’s area and city as well. Then make an optional list of popular foodie hashtags you can use whenever you post a photo of your restaurant’s dishes.

Here’s the fun part: come up with your own witty hashtags that relate to your restaurant. It could be puns on your restaurant name or extensions of your restaurant slogan. Whatever you come up with though, try not to go over six hashtags per post. People will often skip a post if it’s too loaded on hashtags.

 

Stay Instagram-active

The key to keeping your followers engaged is to maintain a regular posting schedule. Don’t go overboard on frequency though – the limit should be two high-quality posts per day. Remember to also geotag every post with your restaurant location. This is so that you can populate the tag with your own posts showing your restaurant in the best light.

As for the content of your posts, do feature rotations of your most popular dishes or attractions. Provide sneak peeks of experiments on new dishes and invite feedback. Share behind-the-scenes shots of your staff and the busy kitchen activity. Snap photos of your restaurant’s neighbourhood. And above all, follow local foodies and interact with your followers through photo comments.

 

Designing your restaurant for Instagram is smart for marketing and growth purposes. Just don’t overlook the traditional restaurant renovation preparation ideas while you’re at it!